What Adventures Await?
by JWeaver95
Summary: "What Adventures Await?" takes inspiration from Stephanie Meyers Twilight series. Set in the real world, the story centers around myself. One fateful day while hiking, James is turned into a Twilight type of vampire when the adventures and life changes ensue! In my world, all different versions of vampires exist. Enjoy and please feel free to leave a comment.
1. Chapter 1

**What Adventures Await?**

 **Chapter One:**

I've been working at Mount Magazine State Park in the restaurant as a server or waiter if you prefer for the past 8 months or so and I'm only now just finding the time to finally be able to explore more of what the park has to offer. By that I mean actually exploring the park outside of the hotels boundaries. I've heard many talks of both customers and coworkers alike talking about having gone hiking all throughout the parks numerous trails. I've already hiked the seemingly most trafficked trail, which is of course the trail leading up to signal hill, the technical highest point in all of Arkansas. It was quite nice and pleasant to be sure, but now I wanted to try something different. I'm used to walking on level ground and I have strong leg muscle, but I'm well aware that my body isn't used to traversing trails.

Needless to say, I'm excited to see what all the other trails in the park have to offer. I hiked the signal hill trail like an amateur. Nothing but pretty much myself and the clothes on my back, watch, phone and headphones. I didn't feel the need to go to the trouble of taking a backpack full of things or even some water for that matter. I regretted not having at least a bottle of water by the time I got back down. The signal hill trail is the easiest trail for anyone to enjoy. This time however, I'm much more prepared for the other trails in the park. This time in addition to everything I had last time, I've got my backpack chalk full of water and some snacks. The trail I've picked is much longer and will require rest stops to complete, but I'm prepared for it.

I've got a fully charged phone and watch, clip on sunglasses, headphones and I'm good to go. I'm no fool though. I've made sure to let my sister know what I'm doing at the very least. This is going to be a great way to start off a four day weekend. Even though things at work have been picking up a little lately, we're in one of those slow periods again right before Valentine's Day. So after a fun, energizing day of hiking, it's back down the mountain to enjoy the rest of my time off from work. With the sun shining and the weather rather perfect for a day like today, I begin my hike on this undoubtedly amazing and visually stunning trail.

The first half of the hike goes well and by the first half I mean my journey all the way to the end of it from where I started. I came out through a break of trees to a rather impressive drop, but in return I've been rewarded with an amazing few. I decide to snap a few pictures here, there and every which way for Instagram and Facebook.

"I should've done this a long time ago," I state confidently to myself as I scroll through the pictures I've taken and look them over. "I honestly don't know why I waited so long to do this, car or no car." I of course plan to ride the van home today once I get back down the trail even though I didn't work today. Although after seeing what I've seen so far today hiking this trail combined with this magnificent view, I'd say that getting up at six in the morning and walking to the van on my day off is more than well worth it.

Up at the top of or end of this trail is where I take my longest break, finding as comfy a spot as I can and sit down, chugging some water and munching on a couple of granola bars as I enjoy what nature has to offer. Finally, after what seemed like quite a while, I finally decide to get back up. I check my watch, looking at the time. Even though I was in absolutely no hurry, I had timed myself during the first half of the hike to see how long it took. Taking that into consideration and not wanting to rush, I figure that now is as good a time as any to begin making my way back down the trail and to the hotel in time to catch the van before it leaves.

I take one last look at what I've seen, done and accomplished today before turning my back and begin making my way down the path leading to the trail that'll take me back to where I started earlier this morning. I'm roughly halfway down when I hear something that catches my attention. I can't place where the noise is coming from, but I know that I'm not just hearing things. I stop and stand completely still, listening to see if I can hear it again. I listen hard, straining my ears and after not being able to pick up the sound again, I slowly do a complete circle of where I'm standing. I do it as slowly as possible do my best to make as little noise as possible in the hopes of hearing what I thought I might've heard earlier.

No, I'm sure I heard something. It couldn't have been nothing after all. I didn't have my headphones in coming back down because I wanted to concentrate more so than I did when going up because 90% of the trail is sloped. My attempts are unsuccessful, so with a shrug, I turn back in the direction to go down and begin to make my way again, already putting the seemingly foreign sound mishap in the back of my mind. I'm right in the middle of another thought when I'm knocked clean off my feet and sent flying into a tree a little ways off the trail. My back slams into it hard. Not enough to break anything, but certainly enough to knock all of the wind out of me.

I quickly regain my breath and stand up, wondering what the hell could possibly have happened and be going on. My eyes dart back and forth, my body not daring to move an inch in any direction. I see nothing and that scares me. What the hell could've knocked me off of my feet like that and gotten away so quickly. What's driving me crazy is that I still don't hear anything out of the ordinary. Just the natural sounds of nature.

"Who's there?" I ask out loud, surprising myself with the amount of confidence I managed to put into my question. As expected, I don't receive an answer. This is one of those times where I don't feel the need to be patient and start quickly making my way back to the trail so that I can get the hell of out here before whomever or whatever decides to come after me again.

Unfortunately for me, I barely make it back to the trail before I'm set flying once more, landing on the other side of it. I lay there in a daze for a few seconds before shaking my head and scrambling to get up as quickly as I can.

"Okay, this is getting fucking ridiculous," I say out loud. Obviously something is out there, so it doesn't really matter whether I speak out loud or not. At this point I'm terrified. I have no idea what's doing this to me and whatever it is that's doing this plan on killing me or not. "Whatever your game is, I'm not amused," I proclaim with more anger than confidence as I defiantly begin walking again, fully intent on getting back on time so as not to miss my ride. If push comes to shove, I can simply stay at work or hitch a ride with someone else. I successfully make it back onto the path and continue making my way down. I'm still worried, but I feel the need to speak up.

"If you've got something to say or do, just get it over with." I haven't a clue if anyone or anything is listening, but I really don't care. All I care about is getting out of here. That's what I get for coming alone I suppose. There's the noise again! This time it sounds like it was deliberately made. Then again, who's to say that wasn't the intent the first time around? "You know if you want to kill me or whatever, please just get it over with. It would be much easier while I'm still alone. It's only going to get harder and harder for you the closer I get to the end of this." I haven't stopped speed walking even after I had heard the noise a second time as I really don't fancy sticking around.

Something drops down in front of me in a blur and pushes me in the opposite direction I'm walking and this time, something is definitely hurt. I gasp in pain as I lay there where I've fallen, several feet away from the blur that did this to me, clutching my chest in pain. I hear human footsteps approach. I'm lying on my side, so I roll over onto my back and a sharp pain shoots out in all directions from throughout my chest. I decide just to let the pain escape through my mouth, seeing as there's no point in keeping quiet. My backpack has me sort of slightly propped up, making it so I don't have to lift my head up to see who's now standing in front of me.

Needless to say, I don't recognize the person standing in front of me, nor what they're doing here and why they're picking on me. He's a man or at least looks like one. He's pale skinned and dressed rather nicely. Too nicely to be out for a hike if you ask me. What really grabs my attention are his eyes. They're blood red. I've only seen that in one other place. In Stephanie Meyers Twilight book series and movies.

"Nice contacts bro," I genuinely compliment him, only to immediately regret it as I wince and grunt at the continued pain in my chest. I don't feel so great. He says nothing as he continues to stare at me hungrily. I decide its best not to speak, as it doesn't help the pain I'm currently suffering from. After what seems like ages, he leans down on his knees and inhales deeply.

"You smell fantastic," he finally speaks up. He has a velvety voice. "Who would've thought that I'd find someone as seemingly tasty as you all the way out here?" He asks as he fully examines me with his piercing eyes from head to toe.

I slowly take a deep breath in and even that hurts, but I have to say something. I don't want to be rude to this stranger after all. Even if he has probably broken some of my ribs.

"Listen, I don't mean to be an inconvenience, but I'm kind of in an annoying amount of pain right now and I think your horse playing around has really hurt me. So I'd appreciate it if you could either kill me now and end my suffering quickly and if not, please help me down the mountain or call a ranger or anyone for that matter for some help." He gets back up, fully standing once more and chuckles before beginning to pace around me.

"I'm afraid that I won't be doing either of those things," He confesses, continuing to pace.

"Okay. So what exactly is it that you plan on doing with me then since you're not going to kill me and you're not going to help me. Which I might add is a relief," I point out thankfully. All this time I can't believe how calm, cool and collected I am and yet at the same time, on the inside I'm scared to death.

"My dear boy, I'm not going to kill you, but you will die today." He stops pacing once he reaches my right side and gets down on his knees this time rather than simply leaning. "Although if it were up to me, I'd much rather eat you myself. It's almost impossible to resist the temptation given the aroma of the blood in your veins."

"My mother always says that almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades," I voice my input. "So instead of saying almost and getting told that every time, I simply use the word nearly now." As I'm speaking, this strange man is eye my right arm from top to bottom for whatever reason that may be. I have my theories.

"That's actually rather clever," He laughs at what I say. "I shall have to use that from now on. He gently grabs my arm and brings it up to his face, inhaling deeply once more, going along the length of my arm as he does so. He shudders and his eyes roll back a bit as a result.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were a vampire good sir," I say, wondering if he'll acknowledge that in any way.

"You would be right my dear boy," the man answers as he traces the veins in my arm from the top down to my wrist where my tattoos are.

"So if you're not going to kill me, but I'm going to die, that means you're going to turn me into a vampire. So if you're anything like any of the many versions of vampires I know about, then what you're about to do is going to cause me undoubtedly extreme amounts of excruciating pain that I've never felt in my life before, correct?" I'm calling it right now. This man is a Twilight type vampire and he means to turn me into one as well.

"Your wisdom does you credit. What you humans call Twilight vampires are but one type of vampire that roams the earth." He likes his lip, making his mark at the focal point of the veins in my right wrist. "It's like I said, doing this isn't up to me. I was given orders to pick one person and one only to turn in the hopes of repopulating and replenishing our species."

"Wait," I plead with him as he licks his lips, hesitating at my word. "I have to know before you do this. Is this a dream? A hallunication? Did I take a bad fall?"

He smirks before answering. "Trust me, this is the realest thing you'll ever see in this life. You're about to leave your mortal life behind and begin a glorious life as an immortal. It's quite unfortunate that however that you may not survive if your body isn't up for the task that it'll go through as it transforms." He looks me over once more with a sniff of disdain is if realizing it for the first time. "You are quite…chunky after all. You'll need an extra dose of venom if there's to be enough to ensure you're transformed to your upmost physical peak.

"Hey now," I speak up, forgetting about the pain in my chest. "I know I'm fat and I admit that. I simply love food and don't mind having extra fluff. Now that I think about it, I can see why a well-dressed and educated vampire such as yourself would find me so appetizingly appealing." I laugh at my own wit and groan in pain once more.

The vampire smiles at me, almost kindly. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was even a tad bit of pity in his eyes as well. "You know, you're the first human I've met in my 300 years that hasn't begged for their life or anything else of the sort. I think I was right in picking you out of all the others I've considered. I have no doubt in my mind that you are the one I pick to change willingly and you shall be a magnificent vampire." He goes to bite me before suddenly stopping, his teeth mere inches away from having done the job.

"I've never said this before to anyone that I've changed, but I want to apologize in advance for all the discomfort and pain you'll undoubtedly you'll feel once I bite you. The pain may be so great in fact that you may end up forgetting all that has happened here until something or someone jogs your memory." He actually looks like he doesn't want to bite me after all and I can actually see regret in his eyes.

"My guess is that if you don't change me now, I'm either going to die from the pain I'm already feeling now eventually if I don't get help in time, or you won't be able to resist the temptation of me anymore and kill me anyways," I state, actually beginning to grow tired. The hike combined with the injuries I've sustained has taken a lot out of me. I'm actually finding it hard to stay awake right now. "I've actually always day dreamed of something like this happening to me and I'm glad that it's apparently about to become a reality. I have no idea how much more of my 'knowledge' is accurate, so could you please tell me what to expect?" I ask kindly. I'm no longer scared and haven't been for a little while. Why was that? Is this what I've truly always wanted? It's not my ideal way of happening, sure. But still.

Understanding dawns in his eyes. "I trust that any knowledge you hold of my particular species of vampire is pretty accurate. I plan on biting you in the wrist and letting my venom flow into your veins. Unfortunately, I am going to have to hold on for longer than normal, as the more non-physically fit a person is before they're changed, the more venom is required to change them so that they can reach their own ultimate physical peak during the transition and transformation." He looks as if he's preparing himself, not knowing whether he can trust himself to not lose control. "As soon as I bite you, the pain will be instantaneous and will only grow in intensity until it reaches its peak. At which point it will stay at that intensity until it slowly begins to die down once your transformation nears completion." He goes on with his explanation.

"If you survive this, which I have confidence now that you will, I will find you and jog your memory if it hasn't been already. I'll admit at first that I thought you'd be no more than a meal, so I decided to play with you at first. But when I saw your resolve and will power, I changed my mind. Which is why you're going to be the one I change. You're the first human I've ever regretted doing this to, but I know that what you do as an immortal will make up for what you could've accomplished as a mere human." He's looking more and more guilty as he speaks.

"It's…it's fine…" I whisper, on the verge of passing out from the pain from when he pushed me off my feet that third time. "Just do it before I pass out please. I don't want to…to wake up to that kind of pain. I want to be awake when…when it starts."

He nods. "I'll tell you what. I'm going to move you before I do it. Off and far away from any of the paths around here. The traffic is minimum, but we don't want anyone happening upon you in the middle of your transformation. He quickly picks me up and I cry out in pain. "Sorry, sorry. So sorry," he apologizes profusely as he rushes off and away from the path. My eyes are scrunched up in agony, so even if I had been looking, I still wouldn't have been able to find my way back at this point. He does his best to gently set me down and make me as comfortable as possible, under the shade of an enclave of trees. "This spot should do nicely."

"Great, now could you get on with it please?" I plead, rather annoyed and angry with him. If I was on the verge of passing out beforehand, I wasn't now due to the spike of pain.

"As you wish." He gets back down on his knees and gently grabs my right arm once more. Before he says anything else, he bites down into my wrist. My eyes are fully open and I don't even see it. I do feel it however and I'm immediately overwhelmed by a pain I never thought would be possible for any one person to feel all at once. I try to be brave and hold in the screams I so desperately want to set free, but I decide that there's obviously no point and let loose. The area around us is filled with my blood curdling screams, words that I never thought I'd ever use to describe my own screams in any way.

"Jesus fucking CHRIST!" I howl as my body begins to convulse uncontrollably. He still has his teeth embedded in my wrist. He looks like he's genuinely struggling not to drink anything. With enormous struggle, he lets go, his mouth covered in my blood.

"I wish I could stay, but I can't trust myself. I'll allow myself the blood that's on my face, but if I stay, you'll surely be killed by me." I can barely hear a word of what he's saying because I'm so focused on the pain. "That should be enough venom to do the job. It's got quite a job ahead of itself, but it'll do its job and it shouldn't take more than three days tops. We're deep in the forest right now, many miles away from anyone. I'm confident that no one will stumble upon you while you're here. And don't worry about any animals. My scent will linger and keep them away. Not to mention the scent of my venom coursing through your veins will keep anything that would be able to do you any harm away as well.

It's at this point that all I can manage to focus on is the pain. There's no going back for me now. This isn't a story after all. I have no strength left for any words and can only cry out every so often and grunt in pain as the venom makes its way through my body. It's just like the books say. I feel like I'm on fucking fire.

The vampire, whose name I don't even know, nor he mine, gives me one final look over. "I'm sorry," he apologizes one last time. "I'll take my leave now. Remember, I'll find you after you're done and try not to kill too many humans." He finds it in himself to chuckle at that before disappearing in a blur, leaving me alone with no one for miles and nothing but this unbelievable pain as company.

The vampire was right. Three days have passed and it's been filled with nothing but pain. What I'm surprised by is that my body has gotten used to the pain as time has gone by. It still hurts like hell, but I'm no longer screaming bloody murder at the top of my lungs every time I'm able to take a breath. The good news is that my ribs are no longer broken and they've magically repaired themselves thanks to the venoms impressive healing properties. Don't get me wrong though, I'm still in a lot of pain, but it's a somewhat manageable level of pain. I can feel the venom flowing through my body, but what's weird is that I can also feel it physically changing my body. All of the fat on my body has melted away, but I'm still fully clothed, backpack still on my back. I know I said the pain was more manageable, but not enough so for me to stand up and observe the rest of what's left of my transformation from a standing view point. I can say for sure though that I definitely feel skinnier.

This last day has passed by the slowest out of all of them. It's funny. Despite all the pain I'm going through right now, I've surprised myself with my continued ability to communicate with friends and family. I held off for as long as I could before Cierra finally texted me, asking if I had made it back home. Doing my best, I managed to text her that I had and that I'd be turning in early, for I was tired from all the hiking I had done since I'm not physically acclimated to it. I'm such a liar, but I couldn't exactly tell her the truth, now could I? I had to do the same thing with both my mother and Nana. Mother simply texted, but the real challenge was pretending that I wasn't in the middle of undergoing a vastly painful transformation into an undead immortal being when my Nana called. I don't like to brag, but my will power played a huge role in doing so, because it was at this point that I attempted to master the pain. I failed miserably, but still managed to pull of the illusion that nothing was wrong. Satisfying everyone there was to satisfy, I went back to suffering in peace if that's what you could call it.

As more time passes, I can feel the pain lessen. My vampire friend knew what he was talking about. I check both my phone and watch. Both still have a rather impressive amount of battery in them. Though to be fair I haven't used either one of them given my current situation, so there's no reason they'd be anywhere close to being dead. Out of nowhere, I feel a sharp pain in my chest, indescribably far worse than when my ribs were broken. I'm panting, but not sweating. It's my heart. The venom has finally worked its way through my entire body and all that's left for it to do is to finally stop my heart. This is it. These are my last few remaining moments as a living moment. After the venom fully overtakes my heart and beats for the very last time, I will no longer be alive. I will be an undead immortal Twilight vampire.

He failed to mention that the last little bit of transformation is filled with as much pain as the beginning with the venom working into the heart. I try to hold back my screams as I did the first time, feeling like I could be stronger for it, but I'm dead wrong. I scream more bloody murder as I lay there, closing my eyes and wanting it to end. In that instance, my wish is granted. The pain stops as quickly as it came when I was first bitten on the wrist. I keep my eyes closed tight for a few more moments, wondering if that's truly it or if there's going to be some kind of stupid aftershock that I wasn't warned about. One doesn't come thankfully. I open my eyes quickly, only to see nothing but blurriness. Confused as to why, I realize that my glasses are still on. There's no reason why I would've taken them off, as I've needed them up until this point.

I slowly take them off and as soon as I do, my eyes are blasted with high definition. Everything around me is so breathtakingly beautiful. It's like I'm looking at something completely different as opposed to earlier. Everything is so fucking colorful, but wasn't it before? I just continue to lay there in the same spot before I sit up, examining my surroundings. I can fucking see literally everything. Dust particles, birds flying miles away, bugs on the ground, even ants marching along. I jump at the sound of a hawk sounding off when I realize that it's nowhere near me. Its miles away in the sky, circling as it looks for its next victim. Now that I'm not so distracted by what I'm seeing, I'm now distracted by what I hear.

I feel like the fucking dragon warrior. I can literally hear a butterfly's wing beat. Not just the butterflies. Birds of all shapes and sizes, even flies. I can hear all the creatures of this expanse of forest. Squirrels, deer, rabbits, all of them. I slowly stand up, now turning to examine myself. If I didn't know it was me, I wouldn't recognize myself and I haven't even seen my face or reflection. I look down at my clothes and my shirt is honestly baggy as hell. I quickly take my backpack off and tighten the elastic strap on my shorts so that they'll stay up and not fall off. I'll have to get a smaller pair though later on. I remove my shirt and examine it. I even sniff it.

"Damn," I raise both eyebrows in surprise. "He was right. I do smell good. Or rather, I did. Especially if this is just the smell coming off of my clothes." I look at my shirt again. "God, did I really use to be this big just three days ago?" I ask myself seriously before tutting. I hold onto it with one hand before looking down at my body. I whistle. "God damn. Hello six pack." I smile with amazement at what the venom has done to my body. "So this is what's been hiding under my fat all these years. It's nice to finally meet you abs." I laugh heartily at my own joke. Excuse the pun.

"Good golly Ms. Molly! Hello biceps," I exclaim as I examine them along with the rest of my arms. Biceps were my favorite and I'm honestly pleased with the size of them. I flex and laugh again before poking my abs. "Rock solid as to be expected. Noice," I say in an Australian accent. I'm immediately struck by a thought. I haven't checked my actual face yet. I quickly scramble for my phone in my shorts pocket and open of the camera without having to fully unlock my phone. I gasp in complete disbelief. I don't recognize the person staring back at me in the camera. I mean there's some resemblance yeah, but still. I have a chiseled jaw line that I never thought I'd have in my natural born life and seeing as how I'm an undead vampire now, I'm essentially right. My beard looks great and for some unexplainable reason, the venom somehow managed to grow my mustache out and make it just as pronounced and lush as my beard.

"I look fucking fantastic. Holy shit," I mumble to myself as I rub my beard and fondle my beard in amazement. The last thing I notice about myself is of course my eyes. Gone are the stunning blue eyes that I always claimed were a nice sapphire shade and had for some reason gotten so many compliments on from strangers whenever I had shared a picture of myself online. In place of them are blood red eyes, similar to the ones my vampire friend had. I'm completely entranced by them and have to shake my head to snap myself out of being entirely mesmerized by the new me. It's at this point that I realize I'm still holding my unfolded glasses. I hold them up to my eyes and look through them again, but there's no way I can wear these anymore and see where I'm going.

"Looks like these are out the window," I mutter sadly as I fold them up and put them in the case I had brought just in case and put them safely in my backpack. I look at myself through my phone's camera again. Ever since I had needed glasses and gotten them, I always claimed to everyone that I looked way better with them and that was the truth. Now however, I'm not so sure. I could probably still pull them off, but I no longer have to if I don't feel like it. "We'll have to experiment with that later," I say to myself as I put my now baggy shirt back on. "I need to get a better fitting set of clothes." I rummage around in my backpack and get out my wallet to check and make sure I still had some cash on me. I've got my debit card as well, but I knew I had money on that as well. Just felt like checking.

I put my backpack on and am set on making my way to the nearest store with clothes suited to my new body size when I hesitate. I actually don't know which way civilization is. I do a complete 360, wondering if I should've paid more attention to where I was dropped off. Come to think of it, how did I get here again? Wait, wasn't it a vampire or something that did this to me? But how did it happen again? "Shit. Where the hell am I?" I ask out loud. I know who am and what not, but I can't seem to remember where I was last before these past three days. I strain my memory for an answer, but it's like I'm trying to look through a veil in my mind and it's quite difficult to recall.

I take a deep breath, which actually feels weird seeing as I don't actually need to breathe anymore. Though if I continue to breathe like normal, it'll help retain my now much more keen sense of smell. Come to think of it, I've been so distracted with myself and now that I'm not, I'm overwhelmed by this continuous burning sensation in my throat. "Ah fuck, I'm so hungry. Or in my case, thirsty." I chuckle at my joke, glad I've retained my sense of humor as a vampire. "I suppose I had better get something to eat before I decide to go anywhere near other people."

I pause for a moment before saying fuck it and picking a direction to go off in. I'm taken by surprise at my speed and have a little trouble with the breaks, colliding with a tree as a result and knocking it over. It didn't hurt one bit. It just took me by surprise. I quickly get up, more quickly than I ever did as a human and took off again. I gasp in surprise at how amazing this feels. The wind rushing through my hair and everything passing by so fast and yet in slow motion at the same time so that I'm able to avoid any obstacles in my way. I'm able to quickly get the hang of it after only a few seconds. I stop when I'm hit with a pleasant smell. It doesn't take me long to figure out the direction it's coming from and I rush towards it. I stop as the smell gets strong and cautiously move forward.

At this distance, a normal person wouldn't be able to see, but I'm not a mere human anymore. A decent distance away, there's a pretty good sized buck grazing alone in a small opening. I smirk at my luck. This shouldn't be too hard. Wanting to take it by surprise, I don't hesitate as I rush forward towards it. It hears me coming a second too late and I successfully tackle it to the ground. To be honest, without my speed and newborn strength, there's no way I would've been able to take this deer as easily as I have. It feebly struggles to get away from my, but I have it pinned down. The smell of it is overwhelming now and I just give in. I happily sink my teeth into its neck and begin drinking big, healthy gulps. The continued burning sensation in my throat nearly immediately ceases as soon as the blood flows down my throat. Within minutes despite being a guzzle gut, I drain the deer dry. I'm compelled to hang on for a few extra seconds to make sure that I've gotten as much as I can out of it before letting go, it's now lifeless bodily falling to the ground.

I breathing hard despite not needing to, the rush of what just happened making me feel like I'm on top of the world. "Oh wow! That was fucking spectacular!" I exclaim as I fist punch the air. "Didn't taste all that bad either, but that's definitely not enough." Taking one last look at my handy work, I speed off in a blur, looking for my next animal victim. Within minutes I happen upon a mountain lion. This guy is a lot harder to catch than the deer. Though to be fair, he probably heard me coming from a little ways away, as I'm excited for more feeding. I actually have to chase him down, but he doesn't get very far. He puts of more of a fight than the buck did, which I give him credit for before easily snapping his neck. Like breaking a twig or something.

I happily sink my teeth into the mountain lion, once more going into a sort of newborn feeding frenzy. This blood tastes even better than the deer blood. Most likely given the fact that the deer doesn't eat meat and the mountain lion does. It's like certain things taste better than others just like human food. As I drain the blood from the mountain lion, I can't help but be curious as to how a human would taste. I can only speculate that they would most likely taste even better than what I'm currently feasting on, which is pretty damn tasty in its own right. It takes me longer to finish the mountain lion, as it was far bigger than the buck I first happened upon. I'm soon done however and let its body drop already eager for more. I stop myself and take a moment to calm down. No doubt I look like a devilishly handsome madman. What with all the blood undoubtedly covering my face. I pull out my phone and look at my face with the camera. Yup. I pretty much look exactly how I described myself. I can't help but smile. Who would've thought I'd have this much fun as a newborn on my first day as one?

The burning sensation in my throat is all but gone, but I feel like I should have one more thing to eat just to be safe. I decide to keep going in the direction I've been going, as I have no reason to alter my course at this time. I don't find any more deer or mountain lions or even a black bear for that matter. I end up settling for a couple of rabbits, as they're much smaller than the buck and mountain loin combined. Once I'm done with them, I'm pretty much full and as satisfied as I figure I'm going to get on animal blood. The burning in my throat has completely disappeared.

"That was delicious. All of it. Now to find my way back home and get some proper fitting clothes. I close my eyes for a moment and listen hard, seeing if I can't hear any traffic or anything that can help guide me home. As lame is it sounds, I decide to just start running and listening, eventually popping out into the middle of a backwater road. I check my phone for a signal and type in Goggle Maps to go home. Turns out I'm a decent distance away. I'm way on the south side of the mountain. I quickly memorize the route that I need to go, which I find surprisingly easy and safely tuck my phone away before taking off at super vampire speed.

Traversing the mountain terrain while avoiding the actual roads proves to be a bit of a challenge, but it's nothing that my body and powers can't handle. I make it back to actual home within the hour. If anyone had been watching, it would've looked like I had appeared as a blur out of nowhere and then cleared up immediately upon arriving at my front door. I take out my keys and let myself in, my nose crinkling at the smell of nothing having been done for the past three days. "Curse my heightened sense of smell," I joke as I use my super speed to tidy up in no time. I spray the air freshener and odor killer as well and it's better than what I smelled before. I didn't even spray a lot. It just feels that way with as sensitive as my nose is now.

I take a shower and the water feels great after three days lying in agony on the forest floor. Even as a vampire the water still isn't hot enough. I find the smallest pair of shorts I can find which isn't that much smaller than my former fat size and put them on. I still plan on going shopping for a new outfit or two. Just enough to hold me over until I can go properly shopping with more money. Luckily I've kept a number of old shirts from when I was smaller. Nowhere near as small as I am now, but still. I pick out one and put it on. It's still a bit baggy, but not as bad as before. Looking at me, you'd assume I was just lazily dressed or that it was laundry day or something.

"I suppose all the money that I don't have to spend on food now can go completely for an entirely new wardrobe," I point out to myself. I wonder how much I'll save now that I literally don't have to worry about buying food ever again. I'll have to worry about all the big stuff later. I've eaten, I've showered, I've changed into clean clothes. Now let's go get some truly proper fitting clothes. I grab my keys and make sure I have my phone and watch as well. They both still don't really need to be charged, but I plan on letting them tonight. Speaking of tonight, I just now realized that I literally don't need sleep anymore. The prospect of that reality saddens me because sleep is awesome. On the other hand, it's bittersweet, as I'm excited of all the shit I can now do that I no longer need sleep. All these thoughts are flying through my head about how my life as a mortal human has ended, but how my life as an immortal vampire has only just begun.

I go to the bathroom and flip on the light, taking a good long look at myself in the mirror. "Damn, I look good. Hair could use a good fixing up though." I grab my hair get and wet my hair, mixing it together and throwing my hair back. I beam at my reflection. "There we go. Much better." I wink before double checking that I have everything, including my wallet. I empty my backpack, deciding that I can put the clothes that I buy in it. I exit my apartment and lock the door. I take a look around; making sure nobody is looking before I zip off, disappearing into a blur of movement. Within seconds, I'm at Wal-Mart. What used to take me the better part of 15 minutes now only took mere seconds to get to on foot. Acting like nothing is out of the ordinary, I enter the store with more self confidence that I ever had in my entire life as a human combined.

As to be expected, I get stares from people as I turn right and make my way to the clothing section. I check the tag of the shirt I'm wearing and since it's a bit baggy, I decide to go down a couple of shirt sizes. I hold it up to me, judging whether or not it'll be a good fit for me. Taking a quick look around, I take off the shirt I'm wearing and put the one I picked out on. I hear a rip and blush. I had put the shirt on in super speed and as a result, ripped a huge hole in it. Hopefully nobody heard and wouldn't come investigate. I quickly wade it up and stuff it towards the back of the many piles of shirts. I grab another of the exact same shirt and put it on, much more slowly this time. It fits perfectly, much better than any other shirt has fit me in the past. I check the size and am surprised that this is apparently my new and permanent shirt size for the rest of my immortal life. I take the shirt off and put the one I came in with back on before folding up the one I just tried on and putting it into the hand basket I'm shopping with.

I pick out a few more basic color shirts in the same size, not needing nor wanting anything fancy right now. There would be plenty of time for that later when I went seriously shopping to replace my wardrobe later in the future. Next are pants. I check the size of the shorts I'm wearing and decide to go down several sizes, same as the shirts. I pick out a pair and hold them up, gauging whether or not they'll be a better and proper fit than what I'm currently wearing. There's no way I'm trying shorts in the middle of Wal-Mart, so I decide to trust my own judgment. To be safe, I get two more pairs in varying sizes just in case and plan on keeping the receipt for them. I'm about to head towards the registers when another though strikes me. Underwear. I chuckle at this, as I can believe that I would nearly forget to get one of the most important clothing items. This is easier than shopping for the shirts or pants simply because it is. I knew my former size and went several sizes down, confident in my choice but will of course keep the receipt just in case. On my way to the cash registers, I stop by the belts. This takes me longer as I'm not a fan of them and don't normally wear them. I find one in my new size easily enough after trying some on the lazy way that every guy does when shopping for a new belt.

"There. I think I've covered all of my bases for now." Even as a vampire I still talk to myself, same as I did when I was human. Some things never change. I of course still get plenty of stares. I'm crediting it to my eyes. People probably think I have contacts in. Just as I'm thinking this, the lady cashier I end up going to compliments me on them. I simply smile and thank her, as she would most likely think I'm senile if I told her they were now my natural eye color. After paying for my new clothes, I take them in their bags out to the front of the store and take off my backpack, putting my bags of clothes in the main compartment with complete ease.

It feels weird not going shopping for food as that's normally what I go out to do when I come here. I shrug it off and walk off at a normal pace and once I'm far away enough from any prying eyes, I take off once more, arriving at home in mere seconds. "I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of that," I proclaim to myself with a huge smile as I unlock the door and let myself in. I change out of the baggy clothes and dawn my new ones, sighing with contentment at how good they feel. Not to mention how much better they fit.


	2. Chapter 2

**What Adventures Await?**

 **Chapter Two**

After putting everything away and spending time checking that everything is still tidy despite having clean when I first came back home, I'm left standing here in my apartment, wondering what I could possibly do now. "Well it's not like I have to worry about going to sleep. I've literally got all the time in the world now." I chuckle at my joke, pleased with myself. "Wait a minute," I say out loud. "How the hell am I going to go back to work now?" I ask myself. "I can't exactly go back looking like this after most everyone seeing me only three days prior. They'd think me a nutcase, accusing me of pretending to be James." I begin to think on this, pacing back and forth, having to make sure I don't do so at a super-fast, vampire speed. "Well shit. I can't think of a damn thing that would insure me being able to go back to work tomorrow. They wouldn't believe a thing I'd say. I can't even pull the, 'look into my eyes and you'll see it's me' because my eyes are fucking blood red now from being a newborn vampire. Fuck!"

I was so confident earlier, but that's completely based on my new life, body, powers and looks. "Wait a minute. I've got it!" I laugh happily, snapping my fingers. "I'll just call up and tell them that I'm having major surgery just like what happened to Trudy. Sure I'm only part time, but I'm still one of the best servers they've got up there. I may not be THE best, but I've got to start giving myself some more credit. I literally never call in, I never miss work and I'm always on time. If I tell them this surgery came out of nowhere and how important it is, they won't have any reason to fire me. Not that they would in the first place given my work record." I sit down on my recliner and send myself spinning in circles as I continue my train of thought.

"I don't like lying, but it's the best thing I can come up with on such short notice." I continue spinning in circles as my mind words rapidly to cover all of the bases necessary to pull this off. Talking out loud only makes it easier to do so and keep the thought process freely flowing. "Okay, so emergency major surgery and that I'll be out for a least two months for recovery. I don't know what kind of surgery though. I'll just say that it's emergency surgery and that I'd rather not talk about it, as it's personal and I'm not ready for it. Kind of lame sounding, but better than nothing." I already have the conversation planned out in my head. I'll call work and ask to speak to Daniel if he's there, our Food and Beverage Director. He's the boss boss of the restaurant and if not, the manager on duty.

"I'm going to need some kind of proof though for when I do finally go back. Obviously pictures are out of the question and no one from work can see me for the entire time. I can say that I can't have any visitors whatsoever, as it's that serious for an intended full recovery. A note perhaps saying that I've got a clean bill of health to go back to work." The name of who could help me with that pops into my head before I can even finish the thought. "Cierra." I smirk. "What the hell is she going to say when she sees me like this?" I shrug. "It'll be fun for me no matter what and she'll be the easiest to convince. Or the hardest." I think on that last part before shaking my head. "Nah. I'll just pull the classic, 'tell me something only James would know' card."

Satisfied that I've got enough figured out for now, I grab my phone and dial for the lodge. I never bothered with memorizing the restaurants actual number, so I just press the buttons necessary to get me transferred to the restaurant. As I do, I look at my watch. It's lunch time. Daniel will either be there this morning or he won't. I normally don't bother with the other workers schedules aside from the other servers. The phone begins ringing.

"Skycrest restaurant, this is Marissa. How may I help you?" Marissa, one of my friends at work is the one to answer the phone. I now realize in this exact moment that I haven't seen nor spoken to anyone from work since before I was still human. Normally that isn't a problem, but given the circumstances of my situation, I'm silent for a little too long before quickly and clearing my throat before speaking.

"Hey Marissa. It's James," I greet her.

"Oh hey James. What's up?" She asks me nonchalantly.

"Oh not much. Just chilling. Daniel wouldn't happen to be there right now, would he?" I ask hopefully, crossing my fingers.

"You're in luck, he is," she informs me. "Do you want me to get him for you?"

"Yes, but to make things easier, could you just transfer me to the phone in his office please? I kind of need to have a private conversation with him that best isn't discussed in the middle of the wait station with everyone in ear shot if you know what I mean," I explain to her.

"Gotcha. I'll transfer you now. He should be back in his office anyway." Marissa is more than happy to oblige.

"Thanks Marissa. Bye." She says bye as well before transferring me. The phone is ringing once more and is picked up within the first couple of rings.

"This is Daniel," his voice greets from the other end of the line.

"Hey Daniel, it's James," I say.

"Hey James," he answers back. "How are things?" He asks.

"I'm glad you asked." Here's where no mistakes can be made. "Things are not going well," I flat out lie.

"What's going on?"

"I don't mean to inconvenience you guys and I would find a way around it if I could, but it turns out that I need to have major surgery as soon as possible." I can't believe I'm going this far to keep my job as a waiter. If I didn't need money and if I didn't love my job so much, I would've just quit.

"Major surgery huh?" He inquires, wanting to know more details.

"I don't have all the details myself, but to make a long story short, I'm going to Little Rock tomorrow to have this major surgery. I know I'm not giving you much, but the reason for this major and immediate surgery is immensely personal. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not divulge exactly what it's for at this time." I don't think I've lied this well in a while.

"I see. Do you know how long you'll be out of work and when you'll be able to come back?"

"Nothing entirely definite, but they're confident I'll make a full recovery around the two month mark. I know that sounds exactly what Trudy is going through right now, which I think is kind of funny, but it's also not. I'm going to be honest with you." This little bit is the only part I'm honest about. "I'm afraid that this surgery will interfere with work given that I'm going to be out recovering for two months and unlike Trudy, I don't have the same security that she has when it comes to her job. I know I'm only part time, but I was wondering if I'd be able to come back after I recover. You know how much I love it up there. Working up on the mountain in that restaurant is seriously the best job I've ever had. I wouldn't be doing this unless I absolutely have to and trust me, this surgery is something I have to do for my own health and well-being.

"No, I totally understand James," Daniel immediately beings to quell my fears. "We are fixing to get back into our busy season. March has Spring Break and April has Easter. It shouldn't hurt us too much to be a man down, but we'll manage. Your work ethic is admirable and I love how you always come to work with a smile on your face and a willingness to do what needs to be done. Your job is definitely safe and it'll be waiting here for you when you're ready and able to come back."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank God. That was my main worry, not counting surgery itself and the recovery that will follow." If I didn't know I was lying, I might be inclined to believe them. "Like I said, the doctors say that it'll take roughly two months for a complete recovery. I'll be going through a lot of physical therapy just like Trudy and the doctor says that I can't really have any visitors, which is one of the downsides of this whole ordeal." I pause for a moment. "I also just now realized that I did not ask you if you could close your door so that this conversation could've been even more private."

"It's alright James. Is there anyone up here that you do not want to know about this?" Daniel asks curiously.

"No, no. It's not that at all. It's just that given the sensitivity of my current situation, I wanted to make sure to talk to you first since you're the boss boss. Plus to make sure that I wouldn't have to start looking for a new job towards the back end of my recovery. But now that I know my job is safe, I'll be able to focus on my recovery and it'll go that much smoother," I state confidently. God, I'm such a fucking lair. It has to be done though. "I'm fine with you letting everyone know what's going on. The wonder would be immediate since I'm not going to be able to show up to work tomorrow at my regularly scheduled time."

"Alright then. Sounds good to me." Daniel states cheerfully.

"Oh and as far as when I come back, don't worry. I'll have a doctor note clearing me to come back to work. I'll make sure to call ahead of time so that you can put me back on the schedule."

"I think that'll be just fine James," he confirms. This is going to be easier than I thought.

"Alright then. Thanks Daniel. I've gotta get going now. I've got to finish packing everything I need before heading out tomorrow morning. Can't make any promises on being able to give any updates. I hope that's okay."

"Don't worry about that. Just focus on getting better and come on back when that's done," he reassures me further.

"Gothca. Thanks again. I'll see you in roughly two months. Bye!" I hear him say bye before ending the call. Considering I don't have technically breath anymore, I sure am sighing a lot with relief. A force of habit from my human days I suppose. I clap my hands together. "Now that the main obstacle is out of the way, it's time to have some fun." Next order of business is to find Cierra as soon as possible and let her know what's happened to me and what's going on.

I decide to shoot her a quick text and thankfully, I don't have to wait long this time. "Looks like she's at work. Perfect. Let's just hope she's not too busy today." Cierra is pretty much the big sister I've always wanted. Hell, she IS my older sister in my opinion and no one can tell me different. Not even my own mother. She works as an ER doctor at St. Edwards Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith. That's an hour away by car, but for a vampire with super speed, it might as well be just around the corner. I hop up out of my recliner and make sure I have everything. Wallet? Check. Watch? Check. Phone? Check. I'll forgo taking a backpack with me or even my small Superman bag, as I don't foresee meeting Emma in the ER there, nor do I think I'll need to charge my phone or watch given that they're both fully charged at this point.

I grab my keys and lock the door behind me, make sure everything is secured and make sure no one is in sight to see me dash off before doing so. I disappear in a blur, knowing how to get where I need to go by heart. Anyone who's lived in the area their entire lives knows the way like the back of their hand. I'm confident when I say that even people who've only lived here perhaps a few years would surely know the way. Besides, it's pretty much a straight line and a simple fact of following the main road to get where I need to go. And that's if I needed to know the way. Which I don't because I already do. Given that I don't have to keep stopping to check to make sure I'm going in the right direction, once I'm out of Paris, I kick my running into high gear, reaching my top speed of 100 miles per hour within seconds of doing so.

I arrive at the hospital in no time, looking like I've suddenly appeared out of nowhere to anyone that would be looking in the particular spot I appeared in when coming to a stop. I make my way through the ER's main doors, not sure where I'll be able to find Cierra. As I try to figure out a way to get past the double doors, my nose crinkles at the smells around me. "Huh. It smells like death in here. Huh. Go figure," I say to myself with a shrug.

"Excuse me sir. Can I help you with something?" A nurse asks me as she walks up to me, seemingly friendly enough. She has a kind smile on her face.

"Yes, you can actually. Thank you. I'm looking for my sister Cierra. She's a doctor here in the ER."

"You mean Doctor Hatcher?" she tries to correct me.

"Actually, Doctor Cierra," I say back. "She prefers to be addressed by her first name," I point out kindly enough.

"Right, right," the nurse easily agrees, staring at me. I find it a little odd that any woman would be staring at me the way she is, but as I'm thinking about it, I realize why. I keep forgetting how different I look to my previous self and I now fully realize that I'm actually going to have to adjust to and deal with people, women in particular staring at me. It's a little unnerving, but I have to say that I'm kind of liking it.

Things are getting a little awkward on my end, so I clear my throat. "Umm, so yeah, if you could direct me in the general direction of my sister, it would be much appreciated."

The nurse doesn't answer me for a moment, still continuing to stare at me before she seems to realize what she's been doing. "Oh, yeah. Of course." She looks a little disappointed. "Just go through these double doors and her office will be straight down the hallway and to the right. You'll know it when you see it."

"Thanks. Much obliged." I begin making my way through the double doors when the nurse calls back out to me.

"Her name will be by her office door!" I turn slightly and give a wave of thanks, not wanting to stop as I make my way to my sisters' office. She didn't have one the last time I was here, mostly because she was just starting out and hadn't fully moved into one yet. I manage to find her office easily enough. Let's just hope she's inside and not busy with a slew of patients in need of emergency medical assistance. It didn't seem to be too busy when I came in through the main entrance. Then again, even I know that that can change in an instant.

The door is completely and freely open. I sneakily poke my head around the corner and to my delight, I see my big sister busily typing away at her desktop computer. She's wearing her glasses, as we both knew that while she prefers contacts, they can ultimately be a pain and with as demanding as her profession is, long hours included, it's simply much easier for her to wear her glasses most of the time. Her hair is back in a neat ponytail and she's wearing what I like to call her classic white doctor jacket, complete with her laminated hospital identification card.

Not wanting to get cold feet, pun not intended, I quit being sneaky and simply walk straight into her office as nonchalantly as possible. "Hey there big sis," I greet her as casually as I can, immediately taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. I say nothing more as I wait for her to react.

"Umm, excuse me, but who the fuck are you and what are you doing here?" She asks me. I literally laugh out loud. "Do you think this is fucking funny? How the fuck did you even get back here?" She questions me further. She's met with more laughter.

"Gee, don't you recognize your own little adopted brother Cierra?" I ask sarcastically with a huge ass smile. She doesn't seem amused in the slightest.

"Well you sound like him, but you certainly don't fucking look anything like him. Like at all," she points out.

I shrug as it that fact doesn't bother me. "All valid points and I know that I obviously look different, but I fully assure you that it's me and that this isn't some practical joke. You know I'm not one for that."

"Why the fuck are your eyes blood red then if it's really you?" Cierra is nothing but f-bombs and questions right now, but I'm honestly having a blast with this and wouldn't want to have it any other way.

"Oh my eyes? Well that's easy. I'm a vampire now. Hence my dramatically and new physically fit body as well as my previously good looks being immensely enhanced." I say this all with a completely straight face and as serious as I can possible manage to do. She eyes me with suspicion.

"I don't know…" she muses doubtfully.

"Oh come on Cierra. For someone who claims to believe in the supernatural, you sure seem to be having a hard time with accepting the new me." It's my turn to make valid points now. "I mean it's not like I can tell you to look in my eyes to fully convince you that it's me, now can I? They're completely changed from the sapphire blue they used to be. I honestly think that's one of the only things I'll miss about being human."

"Fair enough. Convince me that it's really you before I decide to call security and have your crazy ass thrown out of my ER," she states.

"Fine," I sigh. "How about the classic 'tell me something only James would know'?" She nods. "Right. Let's see here. So many things to choose from. For starters, I know that you have three Tom Felton shirts that I've given you for birthdays and Christmases. Two of them are 'Mind if I Slytherin?', one being grey and the other being green. The third Felton shirt is probably your most favorite in my opinion. It's a simple grey shirt that has 'Mrs. Tom Felton on the front." I look at her inquiringly. "How's that? Good enough for you?"

She can't help but smirk. "I'm impressed. You seem to know your stuff."

"That's because I DO know my stuff Cierra. Must I go further?" I ask. She gestures for me to continue. I merely roll my eyes. "Hmm. What else? What else?" I sit there and think for a few seconds before snapping my fingers. "I might not be able to think of anything to tell about you that only I would know, but I can tell you things about me that only a select few people know, you yourself included."

"Like what?" She scoffs at me.

"I'm in love with Emma Watson," I immediately spout.

She snorts. "Too easy. Everyone who knows James knows that."

"Right, right. Too easy. What was I thinking," I shoot jokingly at her. "I also normally carry around a nice, red envelope that contains seven pages addressed to Emma containing my innermost thoughts and feelings about her." I pause before continuing. I just remembered that I have an ace in the hole. At least I hope. I feel around my neck and I inwardly leap with joy. Even as a vampire, I'm still conditioned enough to remember to wear it. "I can prove I'm James. I have what no one else would dare to or even think to have." It's at this moment that I pull out my Superman locket. I take it off of me and open it up, revealing the two little pictures I had put in of Emma when I had first originally ordered the locket. I set it on the desk, confident that I have finally managed to convince you that it's really me. If this didn't work, I don't know what will.

"Well holy fuck," Cierra whistles as she picks up the locket and examines it. She herself has only done so a small handful of times, but even she can tell that it's the genuine article. "I guess it really is you James," she finally confesses, giving in to the belief that it's me.

"You're damn right it's me. Now can I please have a fucking hug?" I ask seriously as I get up and we meet each other around the other side of your desk. We embrace each other long and warmly, pun once again not intended before letting go. She takes a few steps back, giving me a full visual examination from top to bottom. I just stand there awkwardly, still not used to having people stare at me, even if it's my own big sister.

"So tell me again what the fuck exactly happened to you?" Her inquiry is genuine this time and I can't help but crack a smile. We both sit back down, but not before she tells me to completely shut her office door so that we can have the utmost privacy. I regale her with the story of how on the day I went hiking, a vampire who's name I stupidly didn't manage to catch happened upon me and ended up choosing me as the one human to turn to help restore and rebuild the world's population of vampires.

"I'm sorry I lied about making it home safe and sound. I'm just glad that you weren't able to call and talk, otherwise I don't think I could've kept it together. My Nana did that and I barely made it through that," I inform you with a laugh.

"Oh it's okay," she chuckles herself. "I mean you were lying on the forest floor in extreme pain, dying and what not. I would've understood."

"Oh I'm sure you would've," I banter back with a wink.

"So you're like a genuine Twilight style vampire now?"

"Of course I am. I'm still just as surprised as you are though. I mean my entire body has completely physically changed. I mean look at me." I impressively flex both of my biceps both of them extreme power houses of power now. "I'm hot now. Vampire venom really does that to a person. Cierra, it's so fucking amazing all the things I can do now. Everything about them is true. I haven't tried everything yet, but it's all real. Fucking all of it."

"That's fucking amazing. So you've got super speed, strength and stuff?" We're both really excited by this point.

"Yes!" I exclaim. "I literally ran here from my apartment. I got here in no time like it was fucking nothing. I don't even break a sweat anymore doing anything. I'm just glad I was able to find my way back from where I was pretty much dumped in the forest for the duration of my transformation."

"What about food? Have you eaten yet? I know we're siblings and all, but that doesn't mean I want you to eat me or drink my blood," she jokes with me.

It's at this point that I really take a moment to notice how Cierra smells. So far up to this point, I've been distracted with first having to convince her it's me and then just talking about everything that's happened since then. It's only now that I realize just how damn good she smells. "Yeah, I've eaten already," I inform her and she actually visibly relaxes. "Don't worry big sis! No offense, but you're the last human I'd ever consider taking blood from. Eating is the first thing I did after I got myself under control. And before you ask, no I haven't killed anyone. Only a few animals. I had some deer, a couple of rabbits and a mountain lion this morning."

"Wow. That's so fucking cool!" She exclaims in her own excitement.

"I know right? It's fucking amazing. It's just like in the book and movie. I'm certainly full, but I'm not fully satisfied. I have to point out though that being alone in this room with you behind a close door isn't helping deter the smell of your blood," I point out. "Look, you know I'm not going to hurt you. When I came in a I was a little worried about being in a place so full of humans, but honestly I'm not all that tempted." I refer back to when I first arrived, quoting myself on how the hospitals dominant smell was pretty much death.

"What do I smell like?" She ask curiously. I take a moment before answering, inhaling her scent deeply to make sure I've got it pegged right.

"So far every scent I've picked up from every human has been on the sweet side, coupled with real life smells. I can't really describe it to be honest. The only thing I can be sure if is that every human has a level of sweetness to their smell that makes them less or more appealing than others. Your scent is pretty high up there and I'm not just saying that because you're my sister," I compliment.

"Thank you." We both smile at each other.

"If I play my cards right, I shouldn't have to feed or go hunting for the next two weeks. Give or take a few days," I muse. "There's another reason why I'm here big sis," I confess.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"As you may have well already guessed, I can't exactly go back to work looking like this. I was due to go back tomorrow," I elaborate on everything that I've done up to this point to ensure that my job is still secure and that I don't have to worry about losing it or anyone wondering why I'm not showing up to work.

"While it's true that you can't go back, it would be kind of funny if you did. This random hot as fuck guy showing up with blood red eyes, claiming to be you. No one would believe you." She giggles at the thought of me doing such a thing. I can't help but find it rather amusing myself. "Good thinking on the whole major surgery thing. Two months should be plenty of time for them to be convinced that you've got from what you were before to what you are now."

"Agreed, but I'm going to need your help on a few other things." She waits for me to continue as I sheepishly fiddle around. "Seeing as I can't really go back to work for another two months and I wouldn't be able to find a job in that amount of time that would even end up making a difference, I was wondering if you might be able to help me with my bills until I'm able to go back?" I ask nervously.

"Umm, of course I'll help you. You know I'll always help you if I can. You're my little brother," she answers positively. I'm relieved.

"Thank God. Obviously food is no problem for me now, as I don't have to pay for it anymore, so that's automatically taken care of. But I'll need help with paying rent, electric and my phone bill. Are you sure all that's going to be okay with you?" I ask just to be sure.

"James, please. I'm an ER doctor. I have no boyfriend and I have no kids. I've dedicated the first half of my life to becoming one. I'm making more than enough money for myself. More than I could ever dream of. If you're worried that me paying your bills while you're essentially out of work is going to hurt me, you'd be wrong. I have plenty of money and it's not going to hurt me financially at all to help you." She gives me a kind smile. I return it with enthusiasm.

"Thanks big sis. I don't know where I'd be in life or what I'd do without you." We both get up out of our respective seats and hug each other again.

"Listen, I'd love to chat some more about this whole vampire thing, but I've really got to get back to work."

"Right, right." I realize that I've probably taken up a good amount of her time with catching up and storytelling.

"We'll talk some more later okay? Just text me and I'll answer back when I can. Just because it's slow now doesn't mean it won't be later," she points out, me having had the same thought before revealing myself to her earlier.

"Gotcha. I'll see you later. Bye big sis. I love you!" We both say our goodbyes and I leave her office, leaving the door open as she's called for some emergency to take care of for lack of better words. I make my way back out through the ER's inner double doors, going back the same way I came until I'm outside once more. It's actually quite a beautiful day outside and the sun is shining brightly.

It's at this moment that I realize that I'm shimmering with millions on sparkles all over my body. "Shit," I nearly yell out loud before stepping over into some shade before someone notices. I know for an obvious fact that the sun won't hurt me, but what I also know is that every time I step out into direct sunlight from now on, I'm going to look like I took a glitter diamond bath. Cautiously and slowly, I reach out with my hand until it's completely exposed to the sunlight. My skin shimmers and glitters brightly and if I didn't know any better, I'd say that I could even hear it all. I slowly pull my hand back, taking a moment to absorb this realization.

I haven't really considered it up until this point ever since I became a vampire that the only real problem aside from my thirst will be making sure I'm not too exposed to direct sunlight from now on. That's going to end up being a challenge for me seeing as I literally work on top of a mountain where part of the time we can be above the clouds themselves. Luckily for me the weather has been kind of dreary and we're due for rain or at least a chance of rain pretty much every day for the next week or so. This is probably the most sunlight we'll see for a while. Even if there isn't that much rain, it'll still be relatively cloudy and that's good enough for me. I've got two months to perfect avoiding direct sunlight around people. It'll be a piece of cake.

Not really being able to stick around given the current weather status, I zip off towards home, arriving once again in no time. I'm in no hurry to get inside, as my porch keeps the direct sunlight off of me for now at least. I unlock the door and enter my apartment, deciding to open up the curtains and windows to let air freely flow through my apartment. This is the first day in since probably before winter that I've gotten to do this. It's simply been too cold the past few months and this is a nice and certainly welcome change of pace.

"I honestly have no idea what the fuck to do now." I've pretty much done nearly everything. I've already eaten, I've cleaned my apartment twice already and I've made sure to take care of business both work related and financially. I suppose I could work on getting rid of the food I no longer need to keep in my apartment. Despite my new status in the world, I can't help but feel greatly saddened at the fact that I will no longer be able to have delicious human food anymore. Long gone now are the days and nights I've spent cooking goulash, spaghetti, eating out and a many other assortment of things. I mean I could try to eat regular human food, but I'm guessing that it won't be as satisfying as it was when I was a human. Nor would it provide any nutritional value whatsoever. A vampire such as myself eating human food would be akin to a human basically eating dirt.

"Most of the junk I have is stuff I keep in the freezer that I don't touch unless I absolutely have to, so it's not like it's a huge loss for me." I make my way over to the fridge, taking my kitchen trash can along with me and dumping everything inside into the bag. I repeat the same process for the fridge, deciding that I'll leave the stuff in my cupboards for later. I close the trash bag and take it outside, dumping it into the apartment complex's dumpster. No one is really around, so I don't have to worry about anyone seeing me sparkle. Several clouds are passing over right now anyways, so I simply take my time.

As I get my back into my apartment, I now realize that I pretty much look like a complete stranger to anyone that has seen me live here for over the past three years. "Son of a bitch. I didn't think about that until just now. People are going to wonder who the fuck I am and I can't afford to get kicked out because they think I'm some fucking imposter. I'll just lay low and keep to myself. I still obviously have to pay rent, but I'll do that when the landlady isn't in her office." I think for a few moments before continuing with my self conversation.

"I'll have to call her and let her know the exact same thing that I did for work. Major surgery, recovering for two months, all that junk. I can't let her know that Cierra is paying my bills for me the entire time, otherwise she'll need fucking notarized proof and I'd have to physically sign for that. I'll just tell her I've got plenty of money saved up that I can use and that I'll be able to pay my bills no problem without any help." Is it wrong or not that I feel bad for lying about so much to so many people? Even for the right reason? I decide to push that out of my head for now, as I feel like I've taken care of enough business for one day. I'll call up the landlady tomorrow and weave my tale to her under the premise of right before fixing to go into the "major surgery" itself.

Is it even a good idea now to have both my curtains and windows open? It's not like anyone here is going to be coming by to peek through to see if I'm really me and what not. I decide that I can't let such small and trivial things bother me. It's not happened before and just because I'm an immortal vampire now doesn't mean that it's going to happen for the sake of happening. I sit down on my recliner and put in my headphones, listening to music as I allow my mind to wander, going over everything that's happened and transpired the past three days. It's with this that I realize how much more I still have to do. What am I going to tell my family? Am I going to tell them the truth? Even I can't go that long without physically seeing my family in one way or another.

All of these thoughts are currently running through my head as I begin to form a list of people consisting of both family and friends. I know there are probably rules to this whole vampire thing and it's not like I'm going to expose myself to the world, but at this point in my new life, I refuse to leave my friends and family behind simply because they wouldn't be allowed to know of the changes I've undergone. I mean hell, I've already told Cierra. Who knows how many unintended consequences that'll have? The next few hours are filled with nothing but me sitting in my apartment, listening to music the entire time as I mentally debate with myself back and forth on whom I should tell and who I shouldn't. Pretty much most of the people at work are on the not tell or don't need to know list.

As far as family goes, I'll tell my mother and brothers, although I'm not so sure how my grandparents would handle the knowledge of knowing that their oldest grandson is now a vampire. Concerning friends and including Cierra, I've decided that I'll tell Jeremy as well as my neighbors Shane and Kelsey, who also happen to be my friends. The three of them ought to take it well and I'm confident in their ability to keep my secret. The list of people I've decided to let know of my new status is considerably shorter than the list of people I've deemed that either do not need to know at all, or are simply on a need to know basis. Those on the need to know basis part of the list are kind of in a middle ground as it were. Like friends and family that don't live anywhere nearby that aren't necessarily privy to this particular knowledge.

Some examples would be my friend Alex, whom I've known easily for over ten years now. He lives in the UK and is in the Air Force. Another one would be my best friend Austin, who lives in the neighboring state of Oklahoma. A third example would be my Uncle Steven, Aunt Shelly and their two kids, my cousins Noah and Josh who also happen to live in Oklahoma as well. A final example are of course my great aunt and uncle. Though they are technically my mother's aunt and uncle, everyone in our family still simply refer to them as Aunt Pat and Uncle Luke. These are the main people who are on a need to know basis for knowing that I'm a vampire. While I'd eventually tell them, there's absolutely no reason that they need to know sooner than would be necessary.

Satisfied now that I've once again covered all of my bases and deeming that I pretty much have nothing else better to do, I decide that it's time to at the very least let my neighbors know of what's happened to me. I don't owe it to let them know first, but to be honest, I do literally share a wall with them as it were. So my next obstacle is attempting to figure out a way to tell and convince that that I'm me and everything in between. I hunker back down into my recliner, cranking up the music to help the creative juices in my dead brain flow so as to help me think of a solution.


	3. Chapter 3

**What Adventures Await?**

 **Chapter 3**

It's been two months since I stopped aging and my life has changed for the better. I've managed to keep the news of my change under control, having told seven people up to this point. Those people are Cierra, Shane, Kelsey, Jeremy, my mother and my two little brothers, Dillion and Steven. Shane thought what had happened to me was cool and Kelsey was the same, savor that she didn't trust me to be around her cats. Despite me not being allergic to them anymore, which makes me happy now that I no longer suffer from something as trivial and annoying as allergies, she is under the impression that since the main part of my diet is animal blood, I'll be that much more inclined to dine on her and Shane's cats.

Jeremy was completely supportive and turned out to be the easiest to convince out of all seven. He asked all sorts of questions, mostly the same kind that everyone had asked me up to that point in time and I of course happily answered them all each time. Needless to say, Jeremy is a little jealous of the physical transformation my body had undergone. I pointed out that in my case, the active phrase "no pain, no gain" was one of the defining factors of what had ultimately happened to me.

As for my mothers and brothers, they took a handful more of convincing, none of them being much of a believer when it comes to the supernatural. They were perhaps the most difficult to persuade, but after once again pulling the "tell me something only Bubba would know card", eventually I managed to make them see that it's really me. My family calls me Bubba by the way. It's my nickname and it honestly just feels weird and out of place when anyone in my family refers to me by my birth name. Once that obstacle was out of the way, they thought it was pretty cool like the other four people I had told already.

I ended up explaining my situation to everyone when interacting with them and everyone is surprisingly supportive of it. Although my mother is convinced I can use my newfound abilities to become rich a famous so that she can finally pack up and move to the mountains and live in a little log cabin like she's always dreamed of. I made it known that I can't go waltzing around, showing off and that my new existence has to be kept a secret. She agreed that that was in the best interest of everyone. Along with my revelation to everyone but Cierra, I did put on a private display of my abilities.

I showed off my super speed, strength and agility, impressing friends and family alike. I felt on top of the world when doing so. Throughout the two months that have passed, I've spent most of the time privately testing my own new abilities out far and deep in the woods so as to ensure no one would stumble upon me. I've also hunted a few times as well, still surprised by the fact that I really on have to feed once every couple of weeks if I do it right. Doing it right simply meaning that I get enough to eat each time I hunt before moving on to other things.

Cierra helped with my bills as she had agreed to do and I made sure to stay clear of the landlady so as not to arouse suspicion to my seemingly inexplicable changes. I've secured a doctors note from her as proof that I'm able bodied and fit enough to return to work. As for any inquiries I'll inevitably face when I go back to work, Cierra and I both agreed that the "major surgery" I had would involve my weight. Rapid weight loss while recovering accompanied with an intense workout regime which gives me the fit body everyone will end up seeing before them. Not to mention at the suggestion of Cierra, a thyroid problem. The story will be that given my young age, my recovery was much quicker than most as well as the overabundance of energy accompanied with the huge weight loss which helped result in me working out and becoming physically fit.

Tomorrow is the day I'm scheduled to finally go back to work and I'm honestly excited. Currently, I'm over a Cierra's massive house out in the middle of nowhere. Her house is well off the main road, so much that it's gravel for the first little bit, then switches over to dirt in a nice, winding and twisting path through a forest of trees. When you reach the end, you pop out into a little opening that's been cleared enough for a pretty decent sized driveway and two story house with multiple rooms. How many rooms exactly, I have no idea. Pretty much a mini mansion is the best way I can possibly describe it.

I used to have to either get a ride or she'd pick me up at my place and we'd go to hers. The latter was far more common. But thanks to my super speed, I can pretty much go over whenever I want, even when she's not home if I need to. I know I have an open invitation and my own key and what not, but I've always never felt right about being in someone else's house without them being there despite having permission to be there when they're not.

"Listen, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Cierra begins as she sits down in one of her kitchen chairs. I'm over at the stove cooking her dinner. We like to have dinner whenever she doesn't have to work a double and actually has the energy to stay awake instead of coming straight home and passing the fuck out.

"Oh yeah?" I ask curiously as I stir the hamburger around in its pan to help it brown. Despite me not being able to consume human food anymore, which still makes me a little sad to this day, I'm cooking her my goulash. And since my sense of smell has become immensely enhanced thanks to my vampire senses, I've been able to perfect it even more. It consists of petite diced tomatoes, seasoned hamburger, Italian style meatballs, original bratwurst sausages and pretty much whatever kind of pasta noodles you want works with this. This time I'm going with the ever classic elbow macaroni.

"Yeah. I've been giving this some thought, but I don't think you should go back to work tomorrow," she confesses.

Without skipping a beat, I turn around and raise an eyebrow at her quizzically. "Do elaborate please." I stop stirring the hamburger so that it can continue to brown and cook uninterrupted as I take a seat across from her.

"It's just that I think going back to work given what's happened to you and considering how much you've changed after only two months would be stretching the truth just a little."

"Uh huh. Go on," I gently goad her, genuinely curious at this point as to the reasoning behind this train of thought.

"I mean I know how much you love your job and the money you make is pretty decent, but I can't help but worry that our lie will hold long enough to convince everyone you work with," she explains.

"Interesting. So what do you suggest I do?" I ask.

"I've actually given that a fair amount of thought to," she informs me with a smile.

"Well of course. We both know you wouldn't suggest something like this without having thought most if not all of it through big sis." I return the smile in an equal capacity. "So what're you thinking?"

"Okay, so here's my idea. Obviously you don't go back to work, but you already know that part." She laughs before continuing. "Now you may or may not like this next part, but just bear with me and hear me out."

"You know I will," I reassure her.

"I think it would be far better if you just didn't go back right now and instead waited longer before going back."

"How long do you think that should be?" I'm not sure where she's going with this.

"I honestly think you should wait until you're no longer a newborn," she confesses sheepishly.

"So essentially ten more months?" This time I raise both of my eyebrows in complete surprise. "Cierra, I honestly don't think I could do that," I confess myself. "You and I both know that my independence is one of the single most important things to me. Working and providing for myself is what I live for. Being able to have my own place, pay my bills and buy my own food." I stop myself. "Sorry, all of that but without the food part since I kinda don't technically need to buy food anymore, but still!"

"Yes," she states plainly. "Ten more months. That way you'll have an easier time controlling yourself around all that blood."

"But I can already do that!" I point out. "I mean sure, it's pretty hard resisting it sometimes, but we both know it's easier for me after I've fed. Besides, I've been thinking about that. I work in a restaurant. Even if we're super busy, the smell of all that food would merge with the smell of all that blood, hopefully dampening it and making it less tempting."

"True, true. Either way, I still think it would be safer for you to wait."

"Then what do you suggest I do for money big sis? You know how hard it is to get a job in Paris. I never ended up finding one and had to go up a fucking mountain to get the one I have now," I point out further. I'm definitely not sure about this at all. "I mean I know you're a rich, hot shot ER doctor, but you know how awful I'd feel having you continue to pay my bills for me."

"Well if you would shut the fuck up and listen to me for one minute without protesting, I might actually be able to get to that part," she snaps at me, but there's no venom in it.

I shut my trap and say nothing, knowing that I had better be quiet or else. I get up to go check on the hamburger. It's finally done, so as I wait for her to further explain all of this I work on draining it and adding the tomatoes to the mix, setting the burner to low so that it can warm up to a simmer. I get out two cooking pans and set them up, putting all the meatballs on one and the bratwurst sausages on another before sticking them in the oven.

"It's simple. What I'm trying to do here is offer you a place to live," she finally reveals. "James, your life has changed literally forever. You're not a human anymore. You're a vampire who's going to live forever from now on. You literally don't age anymore and I'm honestly fucking jealous."

"Y…you want me to live with you? Like move in with you?" I ask, taken completely aback. "Are you sure?"

"Umm, yeah I'm fucking sure," she answers with a chuckle. "Fucking move out of your tiny little ass apartment and move in with me. I mean come on, it's not like I don't have plenty of fucking room here and honestly, sometimes being and living alone in this house can get fucking creepy sometimes."

I'm silent for a few seconds as I check on the status of the pot of water to see if it's boiling yet. "Well that would take care of not having to pay rent unless I'd have to start paying you," I joke. "But I still have my phone bill. You're not gonna make me give up my phone and watch are you?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"No," she laughs. "I'll keep paying your phone bill."

"But what about-" I begin.

"Fucking shut up about the money!" She full blown yells at me with her hands cupped around her mouth to help get her point across. "Number one, you've literally been through a literal life changing experience. Number two, you were in excruciating fucking pain for three days straight. Not everyone can survive something like that and live to tell the tale. Number three, it's like you said. I'm a gorgeous, rich hot shot ER doctor."

"You added in the gorgeous part, but I admire your confidence," I playfully tease my big sister.

"Like I was saying, I will gladly pay your phone bill. It's no problem. You can move out of your apartment and pick out a room to live in. Instead of paying rent, you can help out around the house." Cierra hates it when people mooch off of others and don't help out when they clearly can. To be honest, with as big of a home as she has and with her hectic schedule, it's pretty hard for her to keep up with this place. She's hired maids before, but those never really worked out.

"So let me see if I've got this straight. I DON'T go back to work, I move out of my very first ever own home, move in with you, you pay my phone bill, I help out around here instead of paying rent? Did I miss anything?"

"Nope. And then after another ten months go by and you're not longer a newborn, you can always reapply there and start working again. That way your change will be much more believable and undeniable by that point in time." She smiles to let me know that all is well. "You'll for sure have a much easier time controlling your thirst by then."

"You've got a lot of fair points," I admit as I check on the meatballs and sausages in the oven. Out of force of habit, I grab a pot holder and take out the sausages, flipping them over. I put the back in and give the pan of meatballs a couple of good shuffles to move them around so that they cook more evenly before closing the door and going back to the conversation at hand.

"So what do you think?" She questions me.

"To be honest, I can't see any downside to this. We're both taken care of in the end. I still have a place to live and bills are taken care of. You end up having someone living with you that you love and trust who you know will help out around the house and will effectively get his ass kicked if he doesn't despite him being an immortal vampire."

"What's your decision then?" She pushes me, but not in an annoying or impatient way.

I take a few seconds before answering, both of us knowing the other so well that there's only one right answer. "Yes. I graciously, humbly and happily accept your offer big sis," I say, finally caving and giving in, holding my arms up in defeat.

"Awesome!" she exclaims as she holds up her hand for a high five. I gladly oblige, hitting a little too hard. "Ouch! Hey, watch it on the vampire strength," she says with a chuckle as she shakes her hand.

"Sorry," I apologize sheepishly. "I'm still just a newborn after all. All the human blood left in my body is currently making me the strongest I'll ever be as a vampire and it's honestly fucking awesome. I definitely plan on enjoying it as much as I can before it fades away."

It's at this point that I decide to check on the meatballs and sausage. They just so happen to be done and I take them both out of the oven. I take the pot of noodles off its burner and drain them. I then quickly slice up the bratwurst sausages before combining everything. Noodles, tomatoes, hamburger, meatballs and sausage.

"Dinner time," I announce as I fix Cierra a generous bowlful and set it down in front of her with some garlic salt and parmesan cheese to accompany her meal.

"God, this looks amazing." She immediately begins digging in as I begin to clean up and do the dishes. She helps herself to seconds and by the time she's done, I've finished doing my part.

"So how was it?" I ask, already knowing the answer as I sit down on the couch in her living room with her shuffling behind.

"Fuck you," she mumbles as she plops down onto the other side with a groan, holding a hand over her belly.

"I'll take that it was great then?"

"I fucking ate too much. Again," she informs me with another moan as she rubs her belly through her shirt.

"Hey, it's not my fault this happens every time I cook my goulash for you or anyone else that wants to eat it." I hold my hands up in further proclamation of my innocence. "You did that on your own. It's not like I held a gun to your head and told you to stuff yourself beyond belief. My cooking speaks for itself big sis."

"Fuck this. I've gotta unbutton my pants." She fumbles with the button on her jeans for a few moments before breathing a heavy sigh of relief as her belly is finally set free from the constraints of her pants. "Ugh, much better." She looks over at me, only able to turn her head as she gives me a small smile.

"I'd say you'll learn your lesson next time, but we both know you won't," I point out.

"Oh shut up," she snaps back before adjusting herself to get more comfortable. We sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments before she speaks up again. "Remember when I made the offer for you to come live with me?" She asks.

"You mean just a little while ago? Yes. Do go on," I urge her, wondering where this particular conversation could possibly be going this time.

"I forgot to mention up until now that there's actually one condition to that offer," she reveals dramatically."

"You know it's hard to take you serious when you're pretty much cradling your food baby you've got going there," I playfully tease, knowing that she knows I mean well.

She laughs before sitting up straight from her lounging position. "Anyways, there's one condition to you moving in that I conveniently forgot to mention before you agreed. And since you've already agreed, I think it's only fair that you honor this condition as going back on your word wouldn't be at all good for your reputation as a vampire," she elaborates.

"Right, right," I nod. I would never go back on my word when it comes to my sister, but she still makes a fair point. "So what is this one condition?" I ask curiously, not knowing for the life of me what it could be.

She doesn't hesitate before answering. "Oh that's easy. The one condition to moving in with me is that you have to make me a vampire as well."

I'm caught completely off guard. I'm not sure what emotions currently sit on my face, but it doesn't matter to me. "I'm sorry big sis. You want me to what?"

"You heard me," she states confidently.

"Cierra, this isn't the Jungle Book. You don't wanna be like me. Trust me," I try to deter her from this, wondering what could've possibly possessed her to even want this in any way, shape or form.

"Oh come on! It's not like I'm asking anything else of you."

"That's not true. You want me to help out around the house!" I attempt to point out. Anything to work on getting her mind off of this utterly ridiculous idea.

She pouts. "You know what I mean."

"Yes I do and I'm going to tell you straight up right now that the answer is no."

"Give me one good reason why," she demands of me.

"Oh I'll give you one good reason. I'll give you more than one good reason why turning you into a vampire would be a bad idea." This time I'm the one who sits up straight now. "For one, it's way too dangerous. Plain and simple. Secondly, it's extremely fucking painful and the transformation process as a whole lasts or at LEAST three days."

"But-" she tries to interject.

"No buts! I'm going to finish here. Thirdly, you may be stubborn and have a strong will and mind, but that's still no guarantee that you'd survive. I don't want to be responsible for you not making it and dying," I confess my worst fears about this scenario. "Not to mention that I don't know whether I'd be able to control myself when attempting to turn you. Look, Cierra. We maybe siblings but you have absolutely no idea how tempting and good smelling your blood is. Now just right now, but ever. From the first moment I walked into your office my first day as a vampire, it's been hard being around you."

"Really?" She asks me. "I guess that shouldn't surprise me, but you've never seemed to be bothered by it."

"That's because I make it look that way on the outside," I confess further. "It's like I keep saying, I'm still a newborn. This is all still so new to me. I've only been like this for a couple of months. While it's easier to resist when I'm fed and full, I've still never once tasted human blood since I turned. Don't get me wrong, animal blood is great." I stop.

"But?" she goads me into continuing.

"But at the same time I can't help but wonder how great human blood tastes. But I know I have to resist because I'm afraid I'd most likely enter a frenzy upon feeding and drain whatever poor soul I'd drink from completely dry." I give her a serious look before continuing. "Let's say the chance is successful and you become a vampire. I won't be able to control you. You work in a hospital Cierra. Your occupation puts you in front of all kinds of people. Literally all that blood both in and outside of bodes. I just don't think that would be good for you being a newborn and I know how much you love your job.

"Well yeah, you've got a point," she agrees with me.

"It's more than just that. You know for a fact how many people come in freely bleeding. All's it takes is one time big sis. Just one time for you to lose control and the next thing you know, you've slaughtered everyone in your entire wing of the hospital. You'd have to get away. Leave and disappear, never being able to come back ever again. I don't want that for you." I think for a moment. "As of right now, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits."

She's completely silent, not sure of herself or what to even say at this point. "You know, I was so excited at the thought of becoming like you that I never really gave it too much thought."

"That's understandable. Had the situation been reversed, I would be the exact same way right now. Except you'd still be the successful ER doctor," I joke to help the mood. Just now, a thought strikes me. "You know, there's also one other crucially important thing that I know for a fact you haven't considered."

"Oh yeah?" She raises and eyebrow at me. "What would that be exactly?" She thinks she's got me in a corner.

"Family." One word is all I say.

She gives me a funny look, creases and wrinkles forming on her forehead. "Family?"

"Yes, family. You're a successful, young, rich and good looking doctor. You've worked hard and sacrificed much to get where you are today. You're one of the most respected doctors where you work, yet you're one of the youngest. That's not an easy feat to accomplish," I point out matter of factly. I'm confident that the tables have completely turned and that I've got you in the corner and on the ropes now so to speak.

"Well, I uh…"

"Well what?" I ask, raising my eyebrows this time. "Think about it Cierra. I didn't choose this. This was chosen for me. Do you realize that as a vampire, I can't have kids with Emma Watson anymore like I've always dreamed of?" I ask her seriously, no joking in my voice or tone whatsoever. As ridiculous as that may sound to anyone else in this world, once I had come to that realization, I became heartbroken.

I decide to continue. "You could have it all. Money, a great job, a well-furnished home, a loving husband and beautiful children. Do you honestly think I'd want to take that away from you before you've even had the chance to go through with something like that? Not to mention I'd be even less inclined to change you at the point of you having a family of your own. I'd essentially be stripping your happiness away." Another thought pops into my head. "And before you even say it, adoption after being changed is out the window. No exceptions or arguments."

Cierra is speechless, at least for the moment. I feel pretty bad for effectively jumping her like this, as I honestly didn't expect I'd be this way. She did kind of blindside me with the request after all.

"I've actually given the whole family thing some more thought that you originally give me credit for," she protests quietly, but firmly. "And to be honest, I'm not really sure.

"Not really sure of what?" I question quickly.

"I'm not really sure whether or not I'd want all of that or not. A family in that way I mean. Especially kids. Though you do make a great point on the adoption front," she concedes in that point.

"Yeah, I'd like to think my points are good all the way around for the topic of this entire conversation," I muse. "Not just for adoption."

"Well it doesn't matter. I still want you to change me," she voices.

I throw my hands up in the air as I get up off of the couch and begin pacing around. "What did we literally just talk about Cierra? Did you suddenly wipe all of that from your mind?" I ask in a rather annoyed voice and tone.

"Obviously not," she scoffs before standing up herself and walking up towards me. "And if you ever talk like that to me again, vampire or not, I swear I'll slap the fucking shit out of you and you won't do a damn thing about it," she threatens, her voice complete steel and unwavering, the same as that piercing gaze of hers. Imagine if that gaze was that of her as a vampire. I inwardly shudder at the thought.

I sigh. "I'm sorry big sis. It's just that this is all so much to consider. So much has changed and I'm literally not the same person I was two months ago." I've since stopped pacing, turning away from her and looking out the window. "It's just that I'm still figuring everything out, ya know? I'm not 100% sure of everything. And I feel like that we both need to be at 100% in order for us to make the right decision."

"That's easy. The right decision would be to turn me into a fucking vampire," she pushes.

"Oh for fucks sake!" I yell, not being able to help but smile at her stubbornness. God, it would be a thousand times worse as a vampire.

"Alright, fine! We'll change you okay?" I tell her. She begins to do a happy dance, but I stop her short. "I didn't mean right now!"

"Well why the fuck not?" She asks with fake pouty lips.

"Umm because if I haven't already made it plainly clear, which I have, I'm not ready to do such a thing. I told you that I wouldn't be able to control myself and that you'd die anyway because I'd drain you dry. You know I wouldn't be able to live myself if I did that."

"While that's true, I still want you to be the one to change me," she protests vehemently.

"Fine, fine. I get that. But you've got to give me time, okay?" I plead with her, being serious.

"How much time do you think you'll need?" She asks me just as seriously.

"Just enough time to where I'm not a newborn anymore. And since I'll be living with you for the rest of that time, I'll be able to practice being around you and it'll help my self control and help me to better resist you when the time comes."

"Go on. I like where this is going so far." She gestures for me to continue.

"I'm going to see if I can't find my maker as well. He'll be able to give me all the answers I could possibly need for this."

"Your maker? The vampire who changed you? How do you plan on finding him?" she asks curiously.

"Hopefully I won't have to. At least not too hard anyways. He said something along the lines of finding me when the time is right. I just hope he remembers," I voice my concern. "So, just a quick recap. Please wait another ten months at the very least. I'll move out of my apartment and move in with you. I'll help keep the place spotless, I'll keep myself feed and watered essentially and you can keep doing what you're doing. Maybe even think more about what we talked about."

"And what's that exactly?"

"Everything. Literally everything. The advantages, disadvantages, benefits and all that jazz. Possibility of a future family as well. Who knows? You might meet yourself a nice man and change your mind. That's what I'm hoping for," I confess honestly.

"Don't get your hopes up little brother." She playfully slaps me. "You just want to keep the immortality all to yourself."

"You know me so well." I give her a huge smile before getting serious again. "So, do we have an agreement?" I hold out a hand.

She doesn't hesitate in taking it. "Agreed." We firmly shake hands and then break the silly acknowledgment of the agreement with a long, deep and heartfelt hug.

"I love you big sis," I tell her with all my heart.

"I love you too Bubba," she returns my love.

The next ten months are going to be long indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

**What Adventures Await?**

 **Chapter 4**

Ten months have come and gone since Cierra and I first made the agreement to her changes. In that time, many more things have transpired, more so for me rather than her. I moved out of my apartment, taking most of my worldly possessions with me and giving away what I didn't want to keep or need. Despite not needing to sleep anymore, I still brought my bed with me so as to have a place to relax every once in a while.

Cierra even let me pick out my own room and true to my word after moving in, I helped to pull my weight. I even have my own bathroom and everything. I honestly don't know what I was so worried about when moving in. I've already moved on from my human life and I suppose moving out of my apartment was the last step leaving those aspects altogether. I cook for her every other night, cooking and making enough for two people, knowing that the leftovers will serve so that I don't have to cook every single night. Not that I would mind doing such a thing.

She continues to do her own thing, being an amazing ER doctor and pulling long hours. I easily keep the house maintained when she's away, opting to clean while she's at work rather than when she's home and or sleeping. After just a couple of months, cleaning the house takes no time at all. While we hang out when we're both home, I too continue to do my own thing. I go out and hunt when needed and still spend time with my family.

My mother of course isn't happy one bit with my new living arrangements, never having taking a liking to Cierra. Not one bit. But I didn't let that stop me from doing so. I also quit my job, as was still part of the plan. I pretty much told them that I wasn't ready to come back to work after only two months and would be taking time off to work better on healing myself. They terminated my employment of course, but told me I was welcome to come back and reapply when I felt ready. And that's exactly what I plan to do.

Also keeping true to the rest of my word, I've been making some effort to find my maker. Despite being a vampire, I don't automatically know how to track anyone or anything down. Let alone the creature who made me who is obviously and clearly far more experienced and has been longer at this than I have.

His words echo in my head every time I think about trying to find him. "If you survive this, which I have confidence now that you will, I will find you and jog your memory if it hasn't been already."

I'm surprised though now that I really think about it, how much of my memory from my human life I'm able to retain. At least I didn't wake up in a frenzy from the transformation, not knowing who I was. I'm thankful for retaining most of my human memories, though I will admit the farther back I try to remember, it begins to get harder. But it's nothing completely out of reach.

Despite all of this, I haven't tried my hardest to make any effort find him. Aside from running around aimlessly in between hunting and everything else, that's pretty much all I've done, hoping I'll simply run into him. He said he'd come to me after all, so I'm not worried. I did however manage to find the place where my change happened from way off the trail that he took me from to make it happen.

There wasn't much I could do when I finally did this because any tracks he would've inevitably left were long gone. I haven't done anything in regards to finding him in the past few months, instead opting to keep myself fed, hone my new vampire skills as well as working on the insane craving I still have to this day for human blood.

Don't get me wrong, animal blood does the trick, but it really does make me feel like a vegetarian. Animals are the plants and humans are the meat. It's filling, but not fully satisfying. It's gotten easier ever since I first turned, but not by that much. I can feel it whenever I'm around anyone. I can hear their heartbeat, almost as if it was my own, echoing in my ears if I focus enough on it. I can hear the blood flowing through their veins like a thirst quenching river just begging to be drunk from.

And the smell, oh my God, the smell of human blood. It honestly makes me wonder just how good I smelled when I was one. I'll admit that some people smell better than others. It's not based on physicality or looks either. It's more based on blood type. The rarer, the tastier is my best guess, but since I've never had a drop of human blood, I can't honestly tell.

I unfortunately made the rookie mistake of asking Cierra if I could have just a small taste of her blood and I was promptly slapped in the face immediately after asking. I saw it coming, but let it happen because of how ridiculous I knew the question sounded despite knowing better than to ask. I just couldn't help myself. She wouldn't even bring me blood home from the hospital because she said there was a shortage from the blood banks and that anything that turned up missing would be suspicious. Can you believe it? She couldn't spare me one bag just so I could try it.

All these flurry of thoughts are running through my head as I fly through the forest, currently on the hunt. I'm still amazed at how fast I can run and it never gets old. Over the past few months, I've had to go further and further out because despite the size of my territory, it's not overly abundant in game. I've always made a point of sticking to Mount Magazine, as that's where I was changed. However, even though it's the highest point in the state, it's still pretty small compared to other mountains around the country.

Thus I've spread myself out in all other directions in other forests all across the state. I'm just glad I haven't had to go out of state to hunt. Not that it would be a problem considering how fast I could go back and forth. I'm getting a little tired of deer, so even though it takes longer, I manage to hunt down three mountain lions. The first two of which tried to fight me and the third I had to chase down, which was a blast. I'm just about done draining this last one, fully intent on heading back home when something causes me to stop.

I pause for a moment but make no sound, don't move and listen. I hear nothing, but I can sense I'm not alone. I drop the nearly drained carcass of the mountain lion and whip around, ready to lunge before I stop.

"Oh, it's you," I say with much surprise. The man in front of me is well dressed, not in a suit and tie, but fashion wise. Think of attire appropriate for being out in the middle of the woods if you can. "I remember those red eyes." He smiles at me.

"You know the last time we met, you were about to be my next meal," he says lightheartedly as I pull my hand back towards me, which I had managed to stop mere inches from his face earlier.

"If you recall, that didn't exactly end up happening," I reply to him. He's got long, curly, jet black hair that goes down past his shoulders. His face is easily chiseled despite it being covered by a healthy beard the same shade as his hair.

"True, true." He looks behind me. "I'm sorry. Did I interrupt your meal?"

"Nah, I was just finishing up. It's already dead and there was only a few good sips left anyways. It'll be fine," I assure him.

"Quite right. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Macon." He holds out a powerful hand.

"I'm James. Nice to meet you," I introduce myself and accept his handshake.

"James, a pleasure." As we finish our handshake, I look him over from head to toe. He's got a good amount of muscle on him, but not so much as to where his muscles are his sole, dominating feature.

No, he's got a little bit of everything going on for him. Despite the blood red of his eyes, there's an undeniable kindness and vast wisdom to them.

"So you're my maker pretty much, huh?" I ask him curiously.

"I couldn't have put it better myself. Fun fact, my name actually means Maker," he explains to me. "It's not a coincidence either. My parents had just decided to go with it really."

"Then I guess you really are 'The Maker'," I joke. He laughs heartily at this.

"I can't honestly recall how many times I've heard that joke in all my life and yet it never gets old," he confesses as he takes a deep breath of fresh air. "You picked a fine day to hunt my boy. It's a shame you're already done or I'd ask to join you. Take it from someone who knows. It's far more fun to hunt together rather than alone."

"Don't worry, I'll gladly take your word for it. So if you don't mind me asking, why're you here and why now after all this time?" I ask him.

"I usually like to wait until the ones I turn are no longer newborns. They're a lot easier to deal and reason with once enough time has passed if you know what I mean," he confesses.

"Understandable. Though I'd like to think I would've been fine had you chosen to show up earlier," I point out.

"I agree. I've been watching you ever since you turned, keeping an eye on you to make sure you didn't stray off or anything and go on a killing spree." He looks me over for a moment before continuing. "I see that you've been sticking to an all animal diet." He gestures to my eyes which had finally started to turn gold when I'm full instead of blood red.

"Yeah, but it hasn't been easy, I'll tell you that," I confess myself. "It's hard enough being around people as it is. I feel like being around individuals is harder than being in crowds."

"That's exactly how it is," Macon reveals. When you're alone with one or two people, three at the most, it can be a lot harder to resist because you're able to easily focus on the scent of their blood. But when you're in a crowd of dozens or more, the smells tend to mix together with all the other smells that are present, making it easier to deal with."

"Well I'm glad I'm not alone in that aspect. I thought it might've just been me," I say. He lets out another booming laugh.

"I like you kid. I knew I made the right decision to change you instead of killing you."

"Yeah, thanks for that by the way. Even though I'm technically not alive anymore, I still prefer to continue living life if it's all the same to you." I say this with a huge smile, followed by another roaring laugh from Macon.

"My God, you're great!" He exclaims as he slaps my back, which throws me a little off balance. He's definitely as strong as he looks if not more so. He wipes a few tears away from his face as a result of laughing too hard.

"So what do you think?" I ask out of nowhere after he's done laughing.

"About what?" He asks, puzzled.

"About me of course. You said you've been keeping an eye on me for I don't even know how long. What do you think of me? Did I end up passing any tests you had laid or for me or something?" I'm smiling. I think it's safe to say that I like this guy a lot.

"Of course you did my boy!" He answers without hesitation, giving another slap on the back, throwing me off balance once more. "You're doing just fine on your own and that's saying something. Most newborns can't handle themselves or being around others like you have in their first year. I'm honestly really proud. We should celebrate! Why not hunt for a bit longer, eh? What do you say?" He offers.

"I'd love to, but I'm actually quite full and I need to be getting home to my sister," I confess, still with a smile.

"Ah yes, your sister," he muses over this for a moment before speaking once more. "I think that's what I'm most impressed by. Both you and her living together and you being able to control yourself like that. She knows to, doesn't she?"

"Of course she does. She's my sister. She's not my blood sister, but we're just as close as blood siblings can be," I tell him.

"She must be quite the woman, able to comfortably live with a vampire like that," he continues to muse over this.

"Like I keep saying, she's my sister and she's the head of the household. She wears the pants so to speak and she's not afraid to still tell me like it is. Hell, she slapped me in the face for asking if I could have some of her blood just so I could know what it tastes like," I tell him.

"A woman after my own heart!" He laughs once more.

"Trust me, you're not her type." I laugh along with him this time, him more so in tears than I am.

"Would you mind if I joined you then?" He asks politely. "I'd very much like to meet this sister of yours."

"I don't see why not, but we'll have to okay it with her if you're to stick around and visit," I say as I begin walking off in the general direction of home. "I'd say you could just follow, but since you've been keeping an eye on me this whole time, I'm going to readily assume that you already know where I live."

"I see you haven't lost any of your smarts and wit since becoming one of us," Macon points out. "I'm more and more proud by the moment. But yes, I know where you live, without it sounding creepy. I'll race you there!" In an instant, he zips off in a blur, catching me by surprise.

"Hey! Get back here you cheater!" I yell out happily as I race off after him. If I wasn't full from feeding, I'm not sure if I'd be in as good mood as I am right now if I wasn't fed. Ever since I became a vampire, whenever it's getting close time for me to go out hunting again, I literally get hangry, more so than I ever could've when I was still human.

Macon and I whisk in and out of trees, weaving in, out and around everything in our path, cutting across whatever we can in order to take the straightest path home. In no time, we arrive in the driveway, neither of us having broken a sweat. Which as far as I can tell, is pretty much physically impossible for us to do anyways.

We settle on walking down the driveway to the house instead of zipping right up to the house. We reach it within moments, as we vampires tend to have a much higher walking speed than humans. "Welcome to my humble abode," I say to Macon as I open the door. Cierra's car is outside, indicating that she's home, which is also why the door is unlocked, allowing anyone to walk in freely. Not that there's anyone for miles to do so. That goes for crooks as well. Though if such a criminal would be stupid enough to do so, they'd either have to deal with me or Cierra. I fear more for any robber that would have to deal with her after working in the ER all day.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Macon makes observations as I shut the door, locking it behind us.

"Hey big sis, I'm home!" I call out to her. "And I brought a friend," I add.

"A friend?" She inquires curiously as I see her in the kitchen, making my way there with Macon in tow.

"That's right. I found my maker," I announce proudly to her.

"You did? I'm so happy for you little brother!" She exclaims with happiness as she gets up from her seat and hugs me. I'd never say it to her face directly, but she looks exceptionally tired today. It must've been a long ass day at work for her. More so than usual.

"Cierra, I'd like you to meet my maker and new friend, Macon," I say as I introduce him to her.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he says as he takes her hand and gently kisses the top of it. She giggles, allowing it to happen. I can't think of any other guy in existence that would be able to get away doing that to her aside from Tom Felton himself. His smile lessens a bit as he looks Cierra over. Perhaps he's thinking the same thing I am? Although is he brave and bold enough to say such a thing? He may be my maker, but Cierra wouldn't hesitate to flatten his ass so to speak.

"It's nice to finally meet you as well," Cierra returns the kind greeting with a hug before sitting back down, although with a little difficulty. Something seems really off.

"Excuse me, but do you mind if I ask you something rather personal?" Macon asks as kindly as possible.

"Of course," Cierra says, inviting him to do so.

"Forgive me for this, but when were you planning on telling James that you're sick and dying," he asks as nonchalantly, yet as serious as possible. The tone of which he asks is even grave. It catches me completely off guard.

"Woah, woah, woah. What? You can't just ask her something completely and utterly ridiculous like that man," I say to Macon, getting defensive of my big sister.

"Maybe not, but she did give me permission to ask such a question," he points out.

"Still, just because she gives you permission to ask something personal doesn't mean you have to ask her a silly question like that. She's not sick or dying. She's just tired after a long day at work. Even I can see that without having to ask," I tell him, getting annoyed at what he's doing to Cierra.

"You say you can see, but can you really?" He questions me with just as serious a tone. "Your sister is sick James, and she's dying right now."

"That's complete and utter bullshit," I say, calling him out on it. "She's perfectly fine and healthy. She's a fucking ER doctor for God's sake."

"But it's not. If you would focus a little more, you'd be able to tell to. Remember when you walked into the hospital where she works for the very first time after changing? Hospitals are literally filled with sick and dying people." He looks at me, eyebrows raised. "You're telling me that when you went in there, that you didn't smell the scent of death literally all around you?" He questions me, waiting for my answer with his eyebrows still raised.

As much as I don't want to believe him, he's right. The smell of death in that place was not only unbelievable, but unforgettable. If I had stayed any longer than I had, it would've eventually overwhelmed me, what with me being a literal newborn at the time and all.

"Calm yourself down and relax. We may not need to breathe, but as you know, continuing to breath as a vampire helps us retain our amazing sense of smell. Take a whiff. Especially around her," he instructs me.

Reluctantly, I take a moment to calm myself down, closing my eyes to help. Without opening my eyes, I begin to smell. I don't pick it up at first, but as I move closer to Cierra, I begin to pick up a faint smell. Afraid that Macon is right, I open my eyes, rushing up to Cierra, mere inches away from her, sniffing and breathing in deeply. If I was still human, my face would've gone pale in this moment, more so than I look right now as a vampire.

"No," I simply say as I sniff again, wanting Macon to be wrong. "It can't be…" The scent on Cierra is not only strong, but entirely undeniable as well. It's a scent I never thought I'd ever had to smell on her. It's the scent of death. "Cierra, what the hell is going on?" I ask her, my eyes wide with complete and utter disbelief, as well as fear and even a tiny hint of anger. "You're dying?" I ask with a whisper, not trusting myself to speak in a louder volume or capacity for fear of losing it.

She looks at Macon, giving him almost a stern like look for revealing this to me before returning to look at me. "Yes, I'm dying," she states flatly and with an added, tired sigh.

"How? Why?! When?! When didn't you tell me when you first found out? WHY didn't you tell me when you found out? How long have you been sick and what exactly are you sick with?" I shower her with a barrage of questions, my voice increasing in volume with each and every question.

"Metastatic breast cancer," Macon answers for her before she can do so herself.

"How the hell do you know that?" She asks him, a little annoyed that she wasn't able to tell me herself even after being pretty much called out on it.

"When you've lived as long as I have, you pick up a lot of things. One of those things being plenty of knowledge," he reveals. "Plus different types of illnesses have different types of smells. Cancers all have varying smells, which helped me to deduce exactly what it was. Or rather is."

"Whatever," she dismisses him quickly before turning back to me. She invites me to sit in the kitchen seat next to her. I do so hastily, wanting to hear this from her and not from Macon. She takes both of my hands in hers, gently rubbing her thumbs along mine. I can only imagine how cold and dead they feel to her. While to me, her hands are warm and full of life. For however long that may be. Such a somber and ominous though doesn't help my mood or the current situation we seem to be finding ourselves in right now.

"Little brother, he's right. About everything," Cierra reveals to me. Thank God I don't have to breath, because right now I'm being left breathless and NOT in the good way. "I have metastatic breast cancer. Now I know you don't know what that is, so I'll have to tell you because I know that you'll want to know everything that I do." She takes a slow, shuddering breath before continuing, almost like it's hard for her to even breath.

"Metastatic breast cancer isn't a specific type of breast cancer, but rather the most advanced stage of breast cancer. It's the kind of breast cancer that has spread out past the breasts to other places of the body like the bones lungs, liver and brain." She pauses a moment before continuing, almost as if working hard to try and gather her thoughts for what she's about to say next. "I've never won the lottery or jackpot in my entire life, but with this cancer I have. It's spread to every single part of my body that I just mentioned a moment ago. It's far more serious than I'm making it out to be."

"Big sis…." I say, my voice cracking as I do so.

"Look, I know this isn't something that you want to hear little brother, but it's happening. I found out a few months ago and at first I didn't think anything of it. That I would deal with it later when I had the time. But that time never came." She lets go off one of my hands to rub the nerves between her eyes on the bridge of her nose before returning that hand to mine again, all the while continuing to gently rub her thumbs against my cold, dead hands. I probably find it more comforting than she does as silly as it sounds. At yet she's the one telling me she's dying.

"You've had this for months and you never thought once to tell me?" I gently accuse her, fully knowing she knows I don't mean it in that way. Macon is simply standing over the side, arms folded, his face grave.

"Of course I thought about telling you stupid," she says with a small smile. "You literally have no idea how much I thought of telling you. You never knew of how many times we were sitting there talking or just spending time together and I for the life of me couldn't think of any way to bring it up without causing you any pain."

"Well I think it's a little late for that," I point out with a small smile of my own. I begin to gently rub my thumbs against her hands this time, wanting to try my best to comfort her as well. She's the one apparently dying after all.

"If it's advanced as you say, how…" I can barely bring myself to ask such a question.

"Not too long," She answers the question for me before I finish it.

"This is fucking ridiculous. It's completely and totally unfair! Why you of all people? You don't deserve something as shitty as this!" I exclaim in protest of what's happening to you, as if I have any actual control over your health.

"James, this isn't your fault, so just shut the fuck up about it, okay?" Cierra shushes me, all the while still holding and rubbing my hands. I guess she really is finding comfort in it, though now that I realize it, I'm actually alarmed by how weak her grip seems. More so than usual. Even for her.

"I know, but still," I try to protest further, but she holds up a finger to stop me. "There's got to be SOMETHING we can do to stop this or to save you," I say finally even though she didn't want me to speak any further in this moment.

Macon clears his throat to get both of our attention. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I think you're missing the obvious here James."

"What're you talking about?" I ask him, confused and annoyed that his ruining this moment between Cierra and I.

"I'm talking about a way to save your sister. Even she sees it. There's a way to save her actually. There's one way and it's unfortunately the only way if you want her to survive this, but not necessarily continue to live so to speak if you know what I mean," he says.

My forehead creases in confusion, not sure what he's getting at. "What the fuck is he talking about big sis?" I ask as I turn back to her. As I do, I can see her sickness more and more physically. I don't know if I notice it now more so because I know exactly what's going on or if it's just my magnificent vampire vision.

Her cheeks are a little sunken in and she has alarmingly dark circles under her eyes that I somehow haven't managed to notice until just now upon said observation. I slowly eye her up and down. She looks a good bit thinner than normal as well, which also alarms me along with how baggy her clothes seem, which would otherwise and normally fit her perfectly.

"He's talking about the only way to save me numb nuts," she tells me.

"And what is that exactly?" I ask stupidly. I'm so preoccupied with what's going on to Cierra and this bombshell that's been dropped on me that I literally fail to see or even think of the one, single and ONLY way to save her from this cancer.

"You have to turn me into a vampire."


	5. Chapter 5

**What Adventures Await: Chapter 5**

It's been weeks since Cierra's revelation of her terminal illness. The day that happened was also her last day working, as she had decided to take an extended leave of absence despite people at the hospital knowing the severity of her condition. In this small amount of time, especially to an immortal vampire, her health has severely deteriorated to the point that she's bedridden 90% of the time.

The other 10% of the time is spent helping her around the house. She's actually having to use a walker for fucks sake! Ever since that fateful day, I've literally never left her side and I thank God that I no longer need sleep or to eat as often as I had to when I was human. In fact, I haven't eaten since that day either, but I absolutely refuse to leave my big sister's side. Not even after the many times Macon has offered to watch over her while I'd be gone. I trust him, but I don't trust him THAT much.

I can feel it though, the hunger. My eyes having completely darkened by this point, my throat constantly burning from the thirst inside me that requires and begs me to quench. I'm too focused on taking care of her though. She sleeps most of the time, the cancer taking its toll. She's refused any treatment despite my constant verbal protests. There's no changing her mind once she's settled on a course for action.

The weather is fair today, so I've taken the liberty of opening the shades and windows, allowing the cool, light breeze in. I'm currently lounging in the living room, watching tv, trying to focus on it and not the fact that my sister is dying. I know I said earlier that I never leave her side, but I didn't mean that literally. She's asked me for space multiple times and that she would call for me when she needed me. I reluctantly agreed to not watching over her like a hawk and she's done so, calling or texting me from her bed whenever she's needed the smallest and most trivial of things.

As I'm thinking of this, my phone gives off a buzz and I immediately grab it. It's Cierra. I rush to the room, arriving within seconds thanks to my vampire speed. I stop just at the threshold and enter.

"You called big sis?" I ask with a smile on my face, though the smile is obviously forced.

Anyone who saw Cierra the last day she was at work and not since then wouldn't even recognize her now and if they did, it would take a great deal of effort on their part. She's so skinny now, unhealthy so in fact. Her cheeks are really sunken in, more so than the day of her revelation. The dark circles under her eyes have only gotten darker since then and have since become a permanent part of her look at this point. Her arms and legs are boney, while her feet are swollen as a result from a combination of a symptom of the cancer as well as what little time she's manages to spend on her feet.

The inside of her room looks like a hospital. Various monitors for her heart, blood pressure and everything else. An IV dripping to keep her hydrated, as drinking water has become difficult for her. Another IV to help with the pain this cancer is causing her as well. Even with her many covers, you can easily tell that her belly is swollen, another symptom of the cancer. It's the only part of her body that isn't bony or even on the small side, almost as if she's solely gained weight in her belly and literally nowhere else. It makes her look pregnant, similar to when Bella was pregnant with Renesme.

The parallel of this and what's happening to you crosses through my mind for the first time as you speak to me.

"I need help getting up," she says to me in a small and weak voice. She's been progressively getting quieter as time has gone by, this cancer literally sucking the life out of her.

I quickly walk over, making it to her side within a couple of strides, already she's attempting to sit up on her own, her bed in a permanent reclining position.

"I honestly don't know why you can't just use the remote to push the headrest of the bed upwards," I point out, having done so multiple times in the past.

"That would be too easy," she says with a small chuckle, which in turns causes a small, yet violet coughing fit. I steady her despite her sitting up in bed, as she's had a tendency of just kind of lumping over, having hit her head once already from this very same thing. After her coughing fit passes, she spends a minute or two wheezing, the oxygen going through her tubes in her nostrils helping and doing what they can.

"Always opting for what's harder," I give you a genuine smirk, though it's filled with much sadness at your rapidly deteriorating health. Steadying her with one arm, I use the other to grab the remote and move the bed rest upwards so that she can lay back on it, all the while mostly sitting up. "I'm still amazed you had all of this hospital equipment just lying around in your basement until you had Macon and I bring it up to your room," I say in continued disbelief.

"Well when you have no boyfriend, husband or kids and you make as much as I do, after all the bills are taken care of, you're left with quite a bit of spending money," she points out, giving me a small smile, though I can tell it takes a lot of effort on her part. Despite being part of the living dead, seeing you in this state and struggling so much causes me physical and emotional pain in the worst of ways, tugging at my heart strings.

"So you just decided to spend some of your extra money on hospital equipment to store in your basement for fun or in case you needed it?" I ask, laughing genuinely at the thought of you ordering all of things and spending your money frivolously on all of it.

"Pretty much," she answers.

"So what else did you need?" I ask. "Or were you just wanting me to help you sit up so you could watch tv or something?"

"Can't I ask for a little something and just spend some time together with you?" she asks me with a frown on her face.

"Big sis, we live together for fucks sake. If you want to spend time together, all you have to do is ask or throw something, telling me to get my ass over here," I say with another laugh. I feel laughter is more so necessary, foolishly hoping it'll do something to help heal your ailments.

'True. Still, I think we need to have a talk," she reveals as she takes one of my hands, an increasingly familiar thing between us ever since THAT day.

"Oh? What about?" I in turn take her other hand, both of us finding the best kind of comfort in it. Her grip is cold and weak though, as if I was the human and she were the vampire, taking care not to crush my hands in hers with the immense strength she'd have as one.

"You know what I'm talking about." Her tone is rather serious.

I'm quiet for several minutes. "I know," I reply quietly.

"Well then?" She raises both eyebrows at me.

I look away, ashamed of myself but knowing that my feelings of anger, hurt and utter betrayal are completely just and well founded. "Do we really have to do this while you're like this?" I ask, trying to stall this off for a bit longer. "I don't want to do this while you're so sick. It's not good for your health big sis."

"A useless point," she says in turn, immediately dismissing my concerns. "It's either now or never. Because if you don't, you're going to lose any and all rights you would've had to lie into and bitch about me for what I've done."

"Touché," I acknowledge. Sighing, I look away, all the while we both continue to hold hands. Without knowing it, I've subconsciously begun rubbing my thumbs against her hands like I've always done. I take this time to gather my thoughts before speaking. Aside from taking care of you and the thoughts running through my head concerning it, this is the only other thing I've allowed myself to think about, even the tiniest bit.

"Well?" Cierra presses me again, waiting for the moment at hand that has been a long time coming. That's if two weeks or so could be considered that.

"Alright fine." I give a derisive sniff. "What bothers me the most is that you didn't tell me you were sick after finding out that you were. It took Macon pointing it out and calling you out on it for you to tell me." Anger is already swelling in my tone of voice.

"I was GOING to tell you," she says, trying to reassure me even though we both need this.

"And when exactly had you planned on doing that if at all? After you died? Were you just going to let yourself die and let me come home one day to find you dead on the floor or wherever in the house you took you last breath?" I'm practically fuming at this point, no tears forming in my eyes, as I know vampires can't cry. I only have my rage and anger to go out on.

"I honestly don't know when I was going to tell you. It's not like I sat down and made any official plans." She scoffs at me.

"You're just lucky I didn't find out any other way, or that would've been bad for the both of us."

"Oh I know," she agrees, fully acknowledging this.

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?" I ask dangerously quiet through clenched teeth.

"I honestly don't even remember why," she confesses. Along with all her other symptoms, memory loss and confusion is chief among them. It's almost like she has mild Alzheimer's, which would honestly be much more preferable to her cancer at this point, as shitty as it sounds.

"Well then I guess we'll never know." I'm so fucking angry right now that it's not even funny. If I was still human, I can assure you that my face would be blood red from how literally angry I am right now in this moment.

"I guess we never will then." There's almost a visible look of confusion in her eyes, but I can tell she's trying to hide it.

It's my turn to make a confession. "You know, I honestly don't think if you should even be changed now. By me or anyone else." I'm met with a rather weak slap to the face. It doesn't faze me one bit.

"Why the fuck not?!" Cierra asks me as loud as she can, barely being able to finish her question from being sent into another coughing fit as a direct result of this particular verbal over exertion.

"Because I don't think that after what you've done that you deserve it," I answer honestly. "Even though I agreed to be the one to change you or at least have you changed, I don't want this life for you. I want so much more for you big sis." My anger is lessened a bit in this moment, but make no mistake. It's still here.

"That's not your decision to make," she says, trying to fight me on this, much weaker than she was just a moment again. She closes her eyes, still holding my hands and still fully conscious.

"It actually is," I fight right back. "You're in no conditions to make such high demands or even tell me what to do in that regard. With you out of commission like this, even though I'm taking care of you, I'm still in charge.

"In your fucking dreams and over my dead body little brother," Cierra protests as vehemently as her body can possibly allow without sending her into another coughing fit.

"That's exactly what's going to happen if you don't try and beat this cancer on your own. Cierra, you're strong. You're one of the strongest and willful person I know. You can fucking kick this cancer's ass and fucking BEAT it." I'm not lying.

She lets go of one of my hands, knocking on the side of my head several times. Despite my anger, this causes me to laugh. "Hello idiot. My cancer is terminal. I'm going to fucking die from it eventually if you don't fucking turn me into a fucking VAMPIRE!" She's sent into a coughing fit once more, this one the most violent so far. This one takes her ten minutes to recover from. All the while I sit there, fuming at this whole situation. Not just this particular part but all of it.

"Cierra, I already told you. I don't WANT this life for you and since I have the power to make you the same as me, even though you're dying, I just don't know if I could bring myself to do this to you. Macon didn't exactly give me a choice when this happened. He was either going to kill me or make me one of him." I get more comfortable, taking her hands once more into my own, as we had let go when she had her last fit. I gently squeeze them to let her know I'm here, as her eyes are still closed.

"Even though I love my new life as a vampire, it's not all sunshine and daisies," I point out. "I can't go out into direct sunlight without sparkling like a fucking chandelier hanging from the ceiling in an open room on a sunny day. I'm not going to burst into flames obviously, but I can't go out in when it's nice and sunny around a lot of people because that would raise too many questions."

I go on to further explain my problems as a Twilight vampire or just a vampire in general. "I can't eat normal, human food anymore. I can't tell you how many times I think about all the wonderful food I used to be able to eat and cook. Of how many times I wanted to sit down and eat my goulash and spaghetti with you. It wouldn't have done anything or even tasted remotely the same. Me eating human food as I am now would be like you eating dirt or mud. No nutritional value whatsoever and a complete waste of time.

Cierra is quiet this entire time, breathing softly, eyes still closed. For a moment, I believe her to be sleeping and I stop talking for a moment.

"Are you fucking done yet or did you have more to say?" She asks rather impatiently, giving my hands a gentle squeeze to let me know she's only joking bit.

I can't help but smile. "Just wanted to make sure I hadn't put you to sleep with my boring spiel of the challenges that come with being a vampire big sis."

"Trust me, if I didn't want to listen to this, I would've told you to kindly fuck off so that I could get some sleep." She rolls over to face me, eyes still closed, but getting more comfortable and now only holding one of my hands and she pulls her covers up over herself to cover everything but her face and above.

"You got me there. Anyways, as I keep saying, I don't want this life for you. You know you can beat this cancer. I know you can make it your bitch and kick it in the ass. And while it'll be a long road to recovery, you've got me here to help and take care of you. I won't let anything hurt you big sis. Not even myself," I say as I gently brush some hanging hair out of her face, careful not to accidentally poke her in the eye or anything.

"When you DO end up beating this cancer and you've fully recovered, you can start living your life again and get to experience all the things you haven't yet gotten to. Most of which I'll never get to experience myself now that I'm…like this." I quickly check to make sure she's still listening and when I confirm that she is, I continue.

"I want you to go out there and meet someone big sis. I want you to fall in love with that someone, get married, have kids and build a family. Grow old with this guy and watch your children grow up and then die at a ripe old age, having lived a good long life," I say, confessing my secret desires for her.

"Okay Edward," she says, opening one eye and smiling.

"You know what I mean."

"I know what you mean, but you should know me by now. We've known each other for years and you know that I don't want most of that shit," she tells me. "Sure, I'd eventually like a boyfriend or husband, but I certainly don't want any fucking kids. Not that there's anything wrong with them. I just don't want them. Could you imagine me having kids? Especially more than one?" She asks me.

"I could to be honest and I think you'd make a great mother," I answer immediately and without any hesitation. "I could see you with oh, I don't know; roughly four kids altogether. All boys I'd say," playfully teasing her. She smacks me on the arm this time before retreating back into her covers aside from the arm that's sticking out as we hold hands.

"You fucker, shut the fuck up. I am NEVER having kids, let alone FOUR fucking boys and no girls." She's got the biggest smile on her face. The biggest one I've seen since before I found out she was sick. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

I shrug my shoulders, smiling as well, the anger that briefly consumed me fading away quickly. "Hey, anything can happen."

Cierra suddenly grows serious once more. "But none of that's never going to happen."

"And what makes you say that?" I ask skeptically, raising one eyebrow quizzically at her.

"Because if you or Macon doesn't change me, I'm seriously going to die," she states ominously and in a quiet voice.

"You're being so over dramatic. It doesn't matter if your cancer is terminal or not. With enough treatment, will power and determination, you CAN beat this." Even I can tell I sound so naïve, but I've got to remain strong and positive or my big sister's sake.

"No I'm fucking not," she hisses at me. "If you don't fucking change me, I'm going to be fucking dead within a months' time. Do you fucking understand and hear me?"

I'm honestly taken aback by all this ferocity in her. It's coming out of nowhere and it's the same kind that could fight off this cancer with the right amount of treatment. But as I look into her eyes, I can tell that she's serious. Deadly serious, excuse the pun.

"Don't you get it James? If one of you doesn't change me, I'm going to fucking DIE."

"Big sis….Cierra… you know I can't do that to you. I'd feel too guilty," I tell her with a whisper.

"You can take your guilt and shove straight up your pale ass. I'll be cured of my cancer faster than any treatment could ever do and I'll be able to not die." Such ferocity. Where is it all coming from all of a sudden? "If not you, then Macon. I'm sure he'd be happy to do it. He seems to be taking a fancy to me anyways."

"What? That's fucking ridiculous. No he isn't."

She snorts. "Even with that amazing vampire vision of yours, you can't even see that he's attracted to me."

"Well if he is it's because he's either thinking of killing you and drinking your blood or turning you into one of us." I finish what I'm saying before I realize it's too late.

"Ah ha! See? If you won't fucking do it, then I'm positive Macon will," she protests against me.

"The only problem with your theory is that I won't let him," I say with a growl. She slaps me in the face again, much harder this time.

"It's NOT your fucking decision to make!" She literally screams at me, spending a lot of her energy reserves on that much harder slap and the one sentence she just said. As a result, she begins struggling to breath, her body breaking out into a cold sweat as she struggles for air.

"Cierra, I disagree," I say plainly. "I'm not going to turn you into a monster like me. I won't allow it. And if you won't beat this cancer, then there's only one option left for us."

I can tell she's trying to ask what the fuck I'm talking about, but she can barely get the question out as she continues to gasp and wheeze for more air. I can only sit there and watch her suffer, something I plan on putting an end to, one way or another.

"Since I won't allow you to be turned like me and making you into a monster and you refuse to beat this cancer even though I know you can, then you're going to have to just die," I reveal ominously and with complete and utter confidence in my choice.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" She manages to ask me weakly, letting go of my hand and closing her eyes, burrowing further into her covers despite being drenched with a cold sweat.

"I'm saying that I don't like seeing you suffer like this. But at the same time, I don't want you made into a monster like me. Since you're willingly depriving yourself of most of what life has to offer even though you have a fucking choice, I'm going to end your suffering." I hesitate for a moment, wondering if I should do it. "And I'm going to do it right now."

"Oh haha, very funny. Shut the fuck up and let me sleep," she shoots back, still lying on her side, facing me, but again with her eyes still closed.

"I'm serious Cierra. I'm going to end your suffering right now and it'll be my first time having human blood as well." My tone is cold, serious and unwavering. "There's no use in letting you whittle away any longer and I'm not going to let this cancer take you. That'll be the story we tell everyone else, but as far as all the blood being drained from your body, you're a blood donor anyways, so at least we'll have that covered. I know nothing about your will, but I'll get to that bridge when I cross it."

She opens her eyes this time. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. Stop fucking around so I can leave and get some sleep." She doesn't say this jokingly, but quite rudely in fact.

"I'm not kidding big sis. I'm going to end your life. Right here, right now. As I said before, I'm not going to sit here and take care of you, all the while watching you suffer before this fucking breast cancer finally takes you away from me. So I'm taking the choice out of both yours and deaths hands." I reach under the covers and gently squeeze both of her hands reassuringly. I've got to continue to be strong, especially for this. For both of us.

"It'll be painless, I promise. I'll make it quick to, as I'm rather thirsty and haven't hunted since the day you finally told me you were sick." I brush a few more strands out of her face before simply looking at her, both in the eyes and then from top to bottom. "I'm sorry big sis, but this is for the best." I bend down slowly and kiss her on the cheek and then the forehead for good measure, knowing this is the last time I'll feel the warmth and life of her and her body ever again.

"I love you," I tell her gently.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing?!" A voice from the doorway shouts out at me. I whip around to see Macon standing there, positively fuming.

"I'm doing what needs to fucking be done!" I shout right back at him, decidedly miffed that he had to barge in here and ruin such a perfect moment, especially the ending to it.

"By killing her?" He asks vehemently as he stomps into the room, stopping a few feet away from Cierra and I.

"If that's what it takes, yes! I don't want her to be like us and since she doesn't seem to want to beat this cancer, I'm going to end her suffering right now. Isn't that the right thing to do?" I ask him with an equal amount of venom in my voice.

"No, that's not right. Your love for you sister is clouding your judgment James. This isn't the way!"

"Oh and what is the way Macon, huh? What IS the right way? Letting YOU kill her or worse, turning her?" I shot.

"You had best watch your tone and mind who you're speaking to boy. I am Macon, The Maker. He Who From All Others Are Made," he announces his several titles. "I brought you into this world and I can very easily take you out in order to keep her safe."

I scoff. "Yeah right old man. Just because you made me doesn't give you any fucking authority over me."

"You're right, it doesn't, but it IS my responsibility to keep you from doing foolish things like what you're trying to do right now. I've made many mistakes in my 5,000 years of life and I'm not going to let you be one of them!"

"Just try and fucking stop me," I challenge him and I reach for Cierra.

Before I can even think a single thought, I'm stopped when Macon's hand appears out of nowhere, grabbing mine, stopping it mere inches from Cierra's face. The look on her face is literally indescribable for me right now.

"You shall NOT harm her!" He growls at me. It almost sounds primordial and savage.

I grab the hand he stopped me with using my other hand and pull it away before he quickly puts me in a choke hold. His speed is blindingly fast, even for me.

"What do you expect to accomplish from putting me in a headlock you fucking moron?" I ask him as he starts to slowly drag me away from Cierra's bedside. "You're not going to knock me out because we don't need to breath," I point out.

"That may be so, but I can still drag you out of here the entire way if I need to and continue to do so until we're far away and you're able to calm down," he states matter of factly.

I visibly struggle against his headlock, but it's quite a good one. "I'm not going to let you do this and allow my sister to suffer further!" I'm fueled now with unimaginable rage and blind fury, similar to that of a feeding frenzy. Slowly but surely, I begin to pry his hands off of me and it's Macon who is now visibly struggling to maintain his hold over me.

I slowly turn around as I continue to pry both of his arms off of me, a look of complete surprise and shock on his face. I don't say anything, as I'm too filled with anger at this whole situation.

"You had better think about what happens next," he says with a grunt, trying to put me back in a chokehold, all to no avail.

"I already have," I say with an equal sized grunt. We're both locked in a contest of strength, our fingers intertwined with the others as we struggle to make ground and advancement on the other. For a short while, we're bot tied, but eventually, slowly but surely I begin pushing Macon back towards the door to Cierra's room.

The look of complete disbelief on his face would've at any other time been priceless, but I'm super serious and on a mission right now. After pushing him back all the way to the door, I manage to get him out into the hallway.

"This is where you take your leave until the dirty deed is done," I inform him before pushing down and eventually bringing him to his knees. I then let go of one of his hands a punch him in the face several times, hard, bringing him down even further. This weakens his grip on my other hand enough for me to let go before I grab him up and toss him down the stairs which leads right to the front door. He goes sailing through the air, down the staircase and smashing through the door.

I don't even watch anything after throwing him, immediately turning around and heading back towards the room. I shut the door and lock it behind us, wanting some privacy for this. Before I can take another step, a pair of big, muscular arms burst through the door, grabbing and pulling me back and through what's left of the door.

"You can't get rid of me that easily BOY," Macon exclaims, putting emphasis on the last word.

"Then I guess I'll just have to try harder!" I scream as I zip around and knock him off balance, getting him in a chokehold this time and a good one at that. He struggles against it, nearly breaking it at one point, but I manage to secure my grip over him and his head.

"Macon, you may be my maker, but I will literally do ANYTHING to protect my big sister. Even if that means having to end up life to stop her suffering. That includes killing you." He grunts in disbelief. "I'll fucking rip your head off if I have to unless you yield and let me do what needs to be done."

I feel something hit me on the back. I ignore it. It happens again. I turn my head and notice Cierra standing behind me, no walker assisting her in standing up or having helped her make it across the room from her hospital bed.

"Let me him go James. Now!" She yells at me as she hits me again with a baseball bat. The same one she keeps hidden in her closet for home invasions. She might as well be hitting me with a pillow.

"Cierra you're delirious. I'm doing this for you!" I shout back at her.

"You're the delirious one you fucking self-righteous asshole. Let Macon go!" She commands as she hits me with the bat again. For a brief moment, the old Cierra is back. I can see it in her eyes and for this same brief moment, I have the smallest hope that she's changed her mind and has decided to fight off this cancer by any means necessary.

As a result, my grip loosens on Macon without me realizing it, being too lost in my hopeful thoughts. He takes this opportunity to easily break out of my hold, whipping around and drop kicking me across the room, but not before slamming straight into Cierra. Everything in begins happening in slow motion.

I feel myself hit Cierra, having already been partially turned towards her after I was kicked. Twilight vampires are tougher than diamonds and hitting a cancerously sick Cierra at a high speed with an invulnerable body is a recipe for disaster. She's knocked over to the side, my body having pretty much plowed over her as Macon's kick was forceful enough to send me through the wall, crashing down onto the ground one story below.

I'm not at all winded, but I am however taken completely by surprise. Thinking only of what's happened to Cierra, I quickly get up, climbing up the side of the house and into her room through the hole I made. Macon is standing over her, hands inches away from her. I'm about to rush him so as to get him away from her before I look down at Cierra.

She's violently and uncontrollably convulsing, a seizure. Another symptom of her breast cancer. I haven't noticed until now, but she took both of her IV's out in order to be able to stand up and get out of bed without having to haul any medical equipment with her. I'm frozen with fear, but Macon is not. As gently and as tenderly as he can, he picks up my still seizing sister, placing her on the bed, hooking her back up within seconds. I didn't even know he knew how to do that.

Immediately, all the monitors start going crazy and I'm snapped out of my frozen fear. I rush over, afraid to do anything out of fear of accidentally hurting her more.

"She's going into shock from this seizure. She's not going to make it," Macon states seriously, giving me a worried look. The ferocity from our short fight is gone, replaced with nothing but concern for the well-being of my dying sister.

"Well what're we going to do? We've got to save her! We've got to do something." Only moments ago I was ready to end her life, to end her suffering and now here I am wanting to do whatever it takes to save it. How quickly our priorities can change, no matter whether we're a vampire or human.

"You're going to have to change her and you're going to have to do it now." I look to see if he's joking, but Macon is dead serious.

"I…I…can't!" It's all I can say at this time. Cierra's seizure has mostly died now, with a bit of continued convulsing.

"Just fucking do it!" She screams at me, clearly in a shit load of pain. But nowhere near as much as she would be with my venom coursing through her body.

"Macon we'll do it! You said he'd be willing to. Won't you Macon?" I ask frantically, not wanting to be the one to do this. I don't want the weight of this responsibility on me.

He raises up his hands in defeat. " I cannot be the one to do this. You've got to live and learn by your mistakes boy. This is one of them." He looks down at Cierra, who's still mildly convulsing, on the brink of passing out. And this time she won't wake up.

"But…I…." I look at him, but there's no comfort or compassion coming from him. Not even a little understanding. You're telling me he's never been in a situation like this before in his fucking 5,000 years. My thoughts are cut short by Cierra arching her body upwards and giving off a horrible, blood curdling scream. As soon as it happens however, it's over, she and her body going limp. The heart rate monitor shows she's now flat lining, that she no longer has a heartbeat.

"CIERRA NOOOOOOOOO!" I explode with grief. Fuck this shit and fuck everything. I grab her right arm and quickly bit down into her wrist. I then let it drop before reaching over and grabbing her left arm, biting into that wrist before her right arm has ever dropped. I then bit down into each side of her neck for good measure, moving to both her legs as well, doing exactly what Edward did in the books and movie to eject as much as possible.

By the time I'm done, my mouth is red, covered in her blood and I can practically taste it on my lips. So this is what human blood tastes like? Or at least what it could taste like. All I have to do on is the smell of it and what's plastered all over my lips and mouth. I subconsciously lick it up as I look my big sister up and down, seeing the bite marks all over her body before turning my attention to the monitor. She's still flat lining. I look back to her, no hope in my mind that she'll be saved in time.

I've fucking killed Cierra. I've fucking killed my big sister.


	6. Chapter 6

**What Adventures Await?**

 **Chapter 6**

It's been three days since Cierra died. Of course died is a relative term at this point. She's not dead, but she's not living either. She's the ever classic undead, at least she's close to finally being so. Three days. Three days since mine and Macon's fight which cost Cierra her mortal life. Having been plowed down by myself after Macon dropped kicked me like a rag doll, Cierra was sent into a violent fit of convulsions and seizures. As a result, she ended up flat lining. Desperate to save her no matter what, I injected her with my vampire venom throughout her entire body.

Ever since then it's merely been a waiting game. I was worried and fretful, but Macon managed to convince me that the best thing we could do would be to clean her up and put her into some clean clothes. At least until the transformation process was complete. So we did just that. Macon helped me bathe her in her bed with some sponges, cleaning off the blood around the bite marks and what not. We stripped her of her hospital gown and doing my best to avert my eyes, we dressed her in up comfortable with a pair of panties, a bra, some comfy, plaid pajama pants and a soft, plain colored shirt. We left her feet bare. She wasn't going anywhere, so there was no need to dress them up.

We changed the sheets and blankets to her hospital bed as well. I had gently brushed her hair, careful to get out all the knots until I could my fingers through her hair smoothly. After double and even triple checking to make sure there was nothing else that could be done to make her more comfortable, Macon offered to watch over her so that I could finally go out and hunt. Once he managed to shove me out the door and I got going, I truly realized how hungry I was. I've since finished hunting, heading quickly back for the house after having satisfied my thirst.

Needless to say, I feel much better now, my throat no longer burning, nor aching to be quenched or satisfied. Cierra should hopefully be awake anytime now and I want to be there for when she does. Despite my excitement at the thought of her waking up and being rid of that bloody awful cancer, I can't help but feel equally parts nervous as to what she'll be like once she's up and moving around. Newborns can be quite unpredictable, especially in the very early stages of their new immortal life.

Allowing myself to be lost in thought and letting my body automatically guide me home, I finally find myself at the front steps. I don't hesitate. Letting myself in, I creep in, checking to see if she's already awake and moving around. If she is, she's not in the immediate area. I decide to quietly head up the stairs, but then decide against it. If she IS already awake, her new, enhanced senses would have already alerted her to my presence. That is of course if she hasn't already gone hunting and if she has, it'll most likely be with Macon.

I find myself feeling quite a bit of jealousy at such a thought, being panged with guilt a little after, but not enough to override it. There's a little envy mixed in there as well. Macon never took me hunting when I first turned into a newborn. I was left to figure things out on my own, to do my own thing while he simply observed when he wanted. The thought of him taking Cierra out for her first hunt definitely makes me both jealous and envious. She's my big sister after all, well, adopted sister technically and taking her on her first hunt is something I feel like her and I should share, not her and Macon. If he really does like her, there's nothing stopping him from doing just that.

Renewed in my effort to see if Cierra has awakened, I use my speed to quickly make up the distance from where I am to her room. The door is open, as Macon and I had decided that there was no point in closing it whatsoever. I stop right before the threshold, peering in. I poke my head in the room and sigh in relief when I see Cierra's motionless body still lying in her hospital bed. Macon looks up and nods a greeting to me. I return it.

"No change yet?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

He shakes his head. "None. But it shouldn't be too much longer now," he answers. Ever since our fight, we made up and I can honestly say that the both of us have a much deeper, renewed and newfound respect for each other. He looks at me, seeing and understanding the look of pain on my face at seeing my sister in this state. "We've got all the time in the world being what we are and yet waiting can still be a pain in the ass, can't it boy?" He asks me lightheartedly.

I allow myself a small smile. "You got that right." He gestures for me to sit next to him on the couch that's in the room, but I politely decline, instead opting to walk over to where Cierra is peacefully resting. Over the past three days, her body has steadily transformed from the sickly, bony, ill state it was in to being full and healthy. Slowly but surely, the color in her hair returned to normal. Any and all broken bones were healed as if they had never been broken before or even in the first place. Her cheeks were no longer sunken in, now filled and full of life as ironic as that sounds. All in all, she looks as healthy as a horse and now has the strength to take on any adversary and tackle any problem she wouldn't have been able to as a human.

"She'll be alright," Macon reassures me, breaking the silence that has befallen us. I simply nod.

"I know. It's just…It's just that things are never going to be the same again, are they?" I look over to him as I await his answer.

He shrugs. "No, they won't, but that won't mean that there still won't be some of the old Cierra still in there when she awakens. Yes, she'll be different but at her core, she'll still be the same." I frown before turning back to Cierra and looking her once over before bending down and kissing her gently on the forehead. Her body feels warm against my lips, a sign that she's one of us now, the only thing remaining being the beating of her heart. It had begun beating rapidly after I injected her with my venom.

It beat so fast to the point that I thought it or her blood vessels in the heart were going to burst. Macon had of course assured me that that wouldn't happen and that what was happening to her happens to all people who go through the inevitable transformation. Ever since then, it's progressively and steadily slow down to only a few beats per minute. Soon, the venom would finally reach her heart and stop it altogether and she will officially and fully be one of the living dead or undead. However you prefer to view it.

"I just hope that she's not too different," I muse as I walk away from where Cierra is laying and look at Macon. "Why don't you take a break? It's my turn to watch her. You need to get something in you." He shakes his head.

"No, no. I'm fine, really. I've gone longer without feeding, trust me. I'll be fine," he protests.

"I understand that, but I'd…I'd like some alone time with her if you know what I mean. Even if you don't go hunting, I'd like you to get out for a while. I'd say go get some sun, but…" He chuckles slightly.

"I understand as well. But I should be here when she awakens. She's going to be a newborn. If she doesn't feel like listening and giving in to her natural cravings, you won't be enough to stop her," he informs me. It's my turn to chuckle.

"Who says I want to stop her? It doesn't matter if I wanted to try and do that anyways. If I couldn't stop her as a human, there's no way in hell I could stop her now that she's one of us." He gives me a look before sighing and getting up off of the couch.

"Indeed." He begins walking towards the door, presumably to leave. "I'll leave you alone with her then. But this time I'll fear for your safety and not hers." A small smile creases his lips before saying nothing more and leaving me alone with Cierra.

I give her a quick glance before sighing and plopping down on the couch myself, sprawling out before pulling out my phone and begin fiddling on it. I must've lost track of time because the next thing I know, it's that everything is quiet, too quiet. I'm not trying to be cliché or anything, but things are way too quiet. I can hear everything for miles and there's noise all around to be sure, but here it's…quiet…

I set my phone down and stare into space as I strain my ears to try and figure out sound is missing from the immediate area. My eyes are darting around in every direction before my eyes settle on Cierra. For the past three days her heartbeat has been my main focus. It's been the only sound in the house. We took away all the other hospital equipment after Macon and I had cleaned up Cierra. I listen for her heartbeat, but it's not there anymore. It's gone. It's absent, nonexistent, it's ceased to be. That can only mean…

Instead of zipping on over with vampire like speed, I cautiously get up from the couch and begin creeping over to Cierra, who's still lying on the hospital bed, the same way she has been for the past three days. Finally, I'm by her bedside. I wait a few moments, but she doesn't move. She's not doing anything. She should've awoken by now. Is something wrong? Something has to be wrong. Something's not right here, but I can't allow myself to panic until I've managed to somehow get to the bottom of this. Not knowing really what to do, I bend down, my face closing in on Cierra's.

"Cierra…" Her name barely comes out as a whisper, and even if I wasn't so close to her slumbering face, she'd be able to hear it for miles thanks to her new, enhanced hearing.

Thank God I don't need to breathe because before I know it, I find a hand on my throat, holding me in place. Needless to say the speed is phenomenal and I don't see it in time to prevent said hand from wrapping firmly around my neck. I try to move, but it's like I'm trapped in a vice. The hand begins squeezing and while I don't need to breath, it doesn't mean that I still can't experience pain. I look down and see the blazing, amazingly colored blood red eyes of my sister Cierra. It's her hand that's got a death grip around my throat and her face is currently expressionless.

"Oh good, you're awake," I say in a slightly strained voice, Cierra not letting up on the pressure she has around my neck. She could break it if she wanted to. It would be exceptionally easy for her, like breaking a toothpick. She sits up, not taking her eyes off of me the entire time. I don't bother looking away, but for some strange reason, I can't even if I wanted to. It's like my eyes are anchored to hers. I want to look away, but at the same time I don't want to.

I'm forced to move with her as she swings her legs off of the bed and gets up, her fingers and hand still holding my neck hostage. She effortlessly maintains her grip as she lifts me up off of my feet, them dangling in the air freely, her arm fully outstretched. I wrap my hands around her arm, not enjoying the pain that's building up the longer she holds me like this.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, but if you could put me down, that would be great," I plead in a much more strained voice. I try prying her fingers away from my throat, but I might as well be a human trying to bend steel with my bare hands. I shitty analogy, but it's the best I can come up with on the spot. She still doesn't say a thing and we're both still effectively staring into each other's eyes.

"Am I interrupting anything important here?" Macon asks out of nowhere. I would turn to try and see him, but my eyes are locked in with Cierra's, like a cobra and a snake charmer and it's pretty clear who's who in this particular situation.

"Oh good, you're awake," Macon repeats what I said earlier as soon as my big sister had awoken. He stares her up and down, whistling as he does. "She's quite a beauty, isn't she James?"

"Hey, that's my sister you're talking about buddy," I say with a gasp as Cierra tightens her hold around my trachea even more.

"Oh I know and she's one damn fine lady. Damn good looking vampire as well." Macon doesn't seem at all concerned that she's choking the nonexistent life out of me. Even now, our gaze is still looked into place and it makes me wonder how much longer this is going to go on.

"Come on Cierra. Let go…please," I beg once more. "It's…it's me, James. Your….your brother." It's getting quite difficult to speak despite not being able to breathe, but I believe what Macon said about the old Cierra still being inside. She slowly brings me in closer until our noses are literally touching each other and all that fills my gaze is her eyes, nothing else. I'm completely mesmerized. I'm totally at her mercy and for some reason I'm okay with that.

"You thought you could just kill me and get away with it, huh little brother?" She finally speaks for the first time since before her death. There's no hint of kindness or humor in her voice, or in her eyes. No, these are the eyes of a cold blooded killer and I'm the one who's created it.

"I think you're in trouble now," Macon says with an astoundingly fake amount of concern as he just continues to stand there.

"Uh Macon, since we kind of bonded and what not over the past three days, a little help here would be nice," I suggest with a wheeze. If I could pass out right now from a lack of oxygen, I would. I can't see what he's doing since all I can see are Cierra's eyes, but I can hear him just fine.

"I'm good, actually. I think I'll be staying out of this to be honest. It's never a good idea to get too mixed up in someone's family affairs. You two will have to work this out on your own," he answers.

"Oh come on!" I protest with a mighty wheeze, feebly struggling against my big sisters superior strength in an ill-conceived and futile attempt to break free. Yeah, right. There's a big fat chance of that happening. "You're being a really BAD friend right now!" I manage to say before I'm cut off completely by Cierra squeezing against my vocal chords, effectively silencing me.

With our noses still touching and our eyes still not having left the gaze of the other, she breaks contact with our noses and gives mine a quick little peck of a kiss and dropping me like I'm a sack full of rocks and dead weight. I quickly recover, backing away plenty of paces and putting a tiny bit of distance between myself and her. It doesn't matter because she's back in front of me and instead of grabbing me again, she firmly smacks me across the face. Before when she was still human, it barely tickled, but this time it really stings.

"Owww…" Is all I manage to say before she slaps me on the other cheek. "Owww again."

"That's for killing me, asshole," she states firmly. I rub my face and move my mouth around a bit, getting the feeling back in it since it had gone numb from the smacks.

"Well I didn't exactly do it on purpose," I begin to protest, but she smacks me across the face again.

"You were still stupid though." Her voice is unwavering as she stares at me.

"Will you PLEASE stop smacking me?" I ask angrily, only to be met with another smack to the face. "Owww!"

"I'll do that when I feel like you've gotten enough for being a dumbass," she states matter of factly. Macon does his best to stifle a snicker and her head darts in his direction. "Don't worry buddy, you're next." He's not swayed by her threat. He almost seems rather impressed by it, infatuated with it even. Gross.

"I think I've gotten enough. In fact I know I have, so thank you." She raises her hand, but doesn't follow through, giving me a look that's even more menacing that any look she ever gave me when she was still human. Both before and after she got sick. I don't flinch though. "I'm sorry, okay? You were right. You were going to die either way and now that you're like this, there's no going back." I pause, rubbing my face again before continuing. "Look, I love you big sis. I really do. I'm sorry that I refused to have you changed and then what happened ended up happening. What's important is that the cancer is gone and you'll never have to worry about aging, dying or going through anything like that ever again."

She lowers her hand and for a moment, no one says anything. I find myself naturally gravitating towards her captivating eyes again, but before I have a chance to connect, I give a grunt as she runs into me with her arms open, pulling me into a big hug. It's a lot better than her having her hand and fingers wrapped around my neck, but it's just as painful.

"Cierra…big sis…you have to remember that you're a lot stronger than me now. Please try not to break me," I protest with another grunt as she hugs me even tighter in protest.

"I'd be careful with him my lady. He may be a vampire, but he's still a fragile little flower," Macon jokes, not bothering to hold back his full laughter this time. Cierra lets go of me and after making sure nothing is broken, which it shouldn't be anyways, I appropriately give Macon a good, clear view of both my middle fingers in response to his rather unsavory and completely tasteless, unfunny joke.

"So what was all that for?" I ask Cierra, still finding it hard not to stare into her eyes the entire time I'm speaking to her.

"For killing me, like I said earlier, dummy," she answers.

"All of it? Even the hug?" I question as she nods in answer.

"Yes. Because even though you're my idiot adopted younger brother, I still love you no matter what. That's what the hug was for."

"Oh, well thank you big sis." If I could still blush, I would be right now out of embarrassment. "I love you," I say sheepishly.

"I love you to little bro." She allows herself a small smile to let me know that everything is going to be alright between us.

"I'm relieved to say the least. For a while there I thought I was going to die and that you were actually going to kill me," I confess to her.

She laughs. "Don't be silly. Number one, you're already technically dead, we all are and two, I'd never kill you and if anyone else tries to, they'll have to go through me." She hugs me again, her smile growing ever wider as more and more of the old Cierra begins to finally break and truly shine through.

When we break from our embrace, I find myself being drawn to her eyes once more. I've never had this problem before, but her eyes are absolutely stunning. Now that I don't have her hand around my neck, I find myself more drawn into them than before if that's even possible. Not only are they a beautiful blood red, but the red is also sparkling as if the irises of her eyes were little red rubies. They have the same kind of sparkle that our skin has when exposed to direct sunlight.

"Cierra, your eyes," I manage to mumble, completely entranced with them, feeling completely at ease. Like all my problems have just melted away and that everything is going to be okay no matter what. So long as I continue staring into her eyes of course.

"What about them?" She asks curiously, breaking eye contact with me and effectively snapping me out of my self-induced trance. She walks over to the nearest mirror and examines herself thoroughly and all over, not just her eyes.

"They're just beautiful. They sparkled like little red rubies when I stared into them," I answer, knowing I'm not crazy.

"They don't seem all that sparkly or ruby like to me," she muses as she dead stares herself. I look to her eyes in the reflection in the mirror, but I no longer see the sparkling that was there earlier. It couldn't have been my imagination, could it?

"I swear to God that your eyes were sparkly. Just like our skin when exposed to sunlight. I saw it. They were doing it when we were staring at each other. Just now and also earlier when you had my neck is a vice like death grip." I say the last part with a chuckle.

"Well I hate to break it to you baby bro, but I don't see any sparkling in these eyes," Cierra says in response.

"Macon, help me out here since you didn't earlier," I call out to him, gesturing towards Cierra with a hand. He shrugs before walking over to Cierra, who turns to look at him. Within seconds, I see Macon relax like I've never seen him do before. It's at this point that I know that I'm right. "Well?" I ask.

"It's beautiful…" Macon mutters, almost in a dreamlike daze. "She's beautiful. Those eyes; they sparkle like little precious rubies, along with the same intensity as the diamond like sparkle of our skin."

"That's literally what I just said earlier dipshit," I say, a little annoyed. I know Macon sees what I saw because I know there's no way he could be faking the way he's acting right now. "Also, mind what you're saying bub. That's my sister you're talking about."

"I don't care. She's beautiful," he repeats, still seemingly in a dream-like daze.

"Thank you," Cierra can't help but giggle. If she were still human, she'd probably be blushing right now. The sight of her giggling while Macon ogles over her is enough to make my stomach churn.

"Alright, thank you Macon," I say, but he doesn't break contact with Cierra's eyes. Nor does Cierra with him.

"I have seen many a beauty in my 5,000 years, both human and vampire alike, but never have I gazed up the likes of a creature so spellbindingly gorgeous," Macon speaks in a whisper, a stupid grin on his face.

"Oh stop it." Cierra is sent into another small fit of giggles and I'm not ashamed to admit that it's making me quite uncomfortable seeing Macon pretty much hit on my best friend. She's not making any real attempt to make him stop either and that could prove a problem later on.

"No, I mean it my lady. Truly you have no equal on this Earth." He actually gets down on both knees, never once breaking eye contact as he does. "There isn't a doubt in my mind that you're more beautiful than Aphrodite, the Olympian Goddess of Love and Beauty."

"Oh wow," Cierra is struck flabbergasted, followed by another round of giddy, girlish giggles.

"Okay, that's enough there Romeo." I've decided that this has gone far enough and mean to put a stop to it. I walk over to Macon, putting a hand on both of his shoulders and lifting him up. He's easy to move, too busy being enveloped by Cierra's piercing gaze. I know what it's like to stare into those eyes. I was the first one subjected to this when she first woke up and even now I can't help but feel myself wanting to get lost in them myself, but I don't think that such a thing would be a good idea at the moment.

I begin backing up Macon out of the door and he complies, walking backwards, but having eyes only for my sister. I glance back at her, her eyes still locked with his as well. There's something different this time though. Whereas when she was looking at me, she had the eyes of a killer, but now it seems that her paralyzing stare has softened up quite a bit. That may be due to Macon's rather unnecessary compliments earlier. I soon have Macon over the threshold of the door. After making sure he's going to stay there, I abruptly shut the door and effectively break eye contact between the two of them.

"So do you mind telling me what the hell that was all about?" I ask incredulously as I stride over to Cierra, who seems to have snapped out of a daze of her own.

"Huh, what? Oh, yeah. Sorry. I just…it was weird." She seems a little bit confused.

"I'll say. You were giggling like a giddy little school girl when Macon was paying you all those uncomfortable compliments," I mention.

"I know. That's so unlike me. I…I don't know what came over me. It's just…when I looked into his eyes, I…I felt this…connection."

"I'm sorry, a connection?" Not good.

"Yes, a connection. I'm sure of it. When I looked into his eyes, it wasn't just Macon that was hypnotized by staring into a set of eyes. I was as well when I stared into his," she answers.

I groan. "God Cierra, PLEASE don't tell me that you've fallen in love with him." I feel like face palming right now.

"I don't know if it was love or not, but it was definitely something. With the way I felt when looking into his eyes, everything just felt right. Everything felt good, like I'd never have another problem ever again. I felt like everything was going to be okay from that point on," she does her best to explain to me.

"Sweet Jesus, you've fucking imprinted on him like a fucking werewolf. Both of you fucking imprinted on each other. How the fuck is that even possible for our kind?"

"Well how the fuck am I supposed to know?" She asks, a little annoyed at my nagging.

"I don't fucking know. I'm not expecting you to. It's a rhetorical question." I begin pacing in the confines of Cierra's room. "I don't see how this is possible. Imprinting is a werewolf thing, but it couldn't have been anything else. The way you two looked at each other and the way Macon wouldn't shut up about you can only be imprinting and nothing else. He's no lover boy, that's for sure."

"Well you can't deny that he's had a thing for me even before I was a vampire. Ever since he got here at least," Cierra points out.

"You've got a fair point, but you? You actually like him Cierra? You like him enough to imprint on someone like him?" I ask.

"Excuse me little brother, someone like him?" She repeats a question, raising both eyebrows at me.

"You know what I mean," I say, waving a hand to immediately dismiss what I just said.

"I'm pretty sure I do, but nevertheless, why don't you go ahead and tell me," She requests, folding her arms as she does.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," I respond.

"I think it is. I wouldn't antagonize me little brother. I'm the strongest person in this house. So unless you want a repeat of when I woke up, you had better fess up mister." There's a small trace of humor in her voice, the faintest hint of a smile following, but in all accounts, she's serious.

"Alright, fine. When I say 'someone like him', I'm not talking about his kind or anything. We're all vampires after all," I begin to explain.

"So what exactly do you mean then, hmm?" Her arms are still folded, eyebrows still raised, fully waiting and expecting me to answer until she's fully satisfied.

I wait a few moments, trying to buy a bit of time before quickly giving in. "Alright fine, I don't know what I mean," I confess, already admitting defeat.

"Don't worry James, I know exactly what you mean."

"Oh? And what would that be?" I ask curiously, the same trace of humor evident in my voice, but also genuinely curious.

"You can't stand the fact that I actually like him of all people instead of someone else. Not only that, but that he actually likes me as well. Call it fate, imprinting or whatever the hell you want. I can tell you right now that Macon and I are meant to be together," she reveals. "I was meant to become a vampire so that this could happen."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." If I could roll my eyes any harder, they'd pop out of their sockets.

"You and I both know that I'm not kidding."

"Cierra, you don't even fucking know him that well. He's my maker and even I don't know that much about him. All we know is that he's really fucking old and good at being a vampire. That's pretty much it," I protest.

"Oh hush. Quit your fucking whining," she shoots at me.

It's my turn to raise both of my eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You fucking heard me. You shut your face about him or I'll smack you clean into next week LITTLE brother," she threatens me, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Oh for FUCKS sake, I can't believe this is happening," I say out loud, but mostly to myself.

"You don't have to believe it's happening. All you have to do is let it happen," she tells me.

"And what if I don't WANT it to happen, hmm?" I ask.

"Pfft, even if I was still a human, you couldn't stop this baby brother. Don't you get it? Don't you see? This is what I've been missing my entire life. This is what I've been waiting for." I exhale through my nose in exasperation, not really sure of what to say next when I'm reminded of something.

"Wait a minute. Where's Macon?" We both look over towards the door, but it's remained closed this entire time.

"I….think he's still waiting right outside the room." Cierra's guess is as good as mine. Glancing quickly at each other, we both make our way over to the door, opening it up normally to be greeted by a still dazed Macon. He's looking off into space, his eyes, glazed over, a small smile on his face, as if lost in a daydream.

"I think you looked at him too hard," I inform Cierra as I snap my fingers a few times in front of Macon's face, but he doesn't flinch, budge or move in any way.

"Can you really blame him? After all, I was gorgeous as human, so the only possible and entirely plausible explanation is that my natural beauty was highly enhanced, making me even more stunning than I was before turning." She flips her hair dramatically as she says all of this, temporarily adopting a posh accent as she does. I can't help but snort at her impression.

"Right, that's the reason why. You struck him dumb with your beauty." I roll my eyes once more.

"You're damn right I did," she laughs happily both of us smiling at each other and knowing that as always, everything between the two of us is great.

"Yo, Macon, snap out of it man." I snap my fingers some more in his face, waving my hand in front of his eyes, but still no response. "He's not snapping out of it. Maybe if we hit him really hard. I know you're stronger than me, but since you're in love with each other, I could do it for you," I suggest gladly. It's Cierra's turn to roll her eyes at me.

"I have a better idea." She says nothing more before leaning into Macon and planting a gentle kiss on his lips, holding it there for a good long while. This throws me for a complete loop, but I somehow miraculously manage to maintain my composure throughout the uncomfortable ordeal happening and unfolding before me. Eventually, Cierra breaks contact and within seconds, the glazed over look in Macon's eye quickly fades away and he shakes his head before speaking.

"What the hell was that? What happened? What's going on? Why're we all standing here?" He fires off a slew of questions, the confusion clearly and highly evident on his face.

"It's quite simple. You were struck by Cupid's love arrow my undead friend," I answer, setting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, giving him a kind smile.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He growls, shrugging my hand away. "The last thing I remember was Cierra was about to break your neck and then she let you go. Shame she did. I-" He cuts himself off when he sees her standing right next to me, staring straight at him. "I….I….guh….guha…" I quickly glance back and forth between the two, confirming they've both locked eyes again.

"For fucks sake," I say to myself for the second time today. "Macon, snap out of it!" I give him a good slap across the face, forcibly breaking the eye contact between the two of them.

"Hey!" Cierra protests. "What did you do that for?"

"Come on, we BOTH know you did that on purpose," I say, calling her out immediately on her bullshit.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right," I say, not in the least bit amused, turning my attention back to Macon. "So are you going to pay attention or am I going to have to smack you again?" I ask, as if talking to a child. Macon rubs his face where I hit him. I may have hit him a little harder than I had intended. Okay, it was fully intentional how hard I hit him. He grumbles about not wanting to be hit again and I nod, satisfied. "Good, now that all of that is out of the way, we need to get some work done."

"Work? What kind of work is there to be done?" Cierra asks curiously.

"Now that you're awake, you need to feed as soon as possible. I don't know about you, but after I finished turning, I was fucking parched with thirst. It's no wonder you haven't noticed your throat burning yet. Maybe it's because you're soooooo in love," I playfully mock her a little bit. She responds with the ever classic response of sticking her tongue out at me.

"You're right. Now that I'm not so distracted-"

"Distracted by your love for Macon, right?" I ask and gives me a look that warns me I should shut up. I smartly take it.

"As I was SAYING, now that I'm not so distracted, you're right. My throat is practically on fire. It feels like it's burning," she tells the both of us, putting a hand to her throat in a vain and futile attempt to quell her thirst.

"Burning with the fires and flames of love?" I ask with a smile. I'm met with a fist to the face. It knocks my head back and I'm momentarily blinded by pain.

"Are you quite finished!?" She yells, both of her fists balled up. I'm not mad at all. I find it funny that she punched me. I sure as hell deserved it, but I just couldn't help myself.

"For now," I say in a nasal like voice, rubbing and twisting it to a fro. It's not broken given that we're all hard as diamonds and pretty much indestructible, but that doesn't mean it still didn't hurt like hell. I smile through the pain, knowing it was worth it in the end. I move my mouth around, making unintentional faces to make sure everything really is okay even though I already know it is.

"Isn't she amazing?" I hear Macon asks in a dreamy voice as he stares at Cierra, who thankfully isn't staring back at him. She's too busy staring me down for my quips earlier about her and he being in love.

"Oh yes Macon. She's definitely one of a kind and I mean that to." I clap my hands together. "So big sis, are you ready for your first hurt as a vampire?" I ask rather excitedly. The first hunt after turning is always the best. You're a fresh, newborn vampire. You're not longer a human. With our kind, or rather our branch of vampire, you no longer need sleep, rest, food or anything like that. Just blood and that's it. The thirst is nearly insatiable, but it's one of the things that makes the first time one of the most special.

She smiles right back at me, her mild hostility from when she nailed me in the face already gone, as it was never there in the first place. That's just one of the many aspects of our relationship. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Alright then guys," I say, looking at both Cierra and Macon, who's since managed to stop staring at Cierra long enough to come back to reality at the mention of going hunting.

"You and I have already hunted; do both of us really have to go with her?" He asks. "I could go with her and-"

"No way in hell Macon." I knew where he was going before even he did. "Reason number one, just no. She's my sister and after what I've seen with you two, there's no way I'm letting you two go alone until I'm sure I can trust the two of you to actually BE alone around one another. Reason two, Cierra is the freshest newborn on the block. If we both take her hunting, we can make sure she doesn't get overwhelmed by her thirst and go overboard by killing to many animals, or worse, killing any humans." Both of them nod, seeing the clear logic in my reasoning that we all go on this hunt, even if Cierra will be the only one actually feeding.

"I'll have to admit that it makes sense," Macon relents.

"Of course it does. Not to mention that if you end up getting lost in her damn eyes again or decided to take a random trip to daydream land involving my sister, I'll be there to both snap you out of it AND making sure I can stop Cierra from doing something she's not supposed to," I further explain.

"No arguments here," Cierra chimes in. I can tell she's eager to get going, to feed for the first time, to try and get her thirst more under her control, to satisfy it as much as she's able to without going overboard this very first time.

"Good, then we're all in agreement." I look them both over before heading back into the bedroom. I don't remember if I mentioned earlier, but we closed off the hold that I had inadvertently put in Cierra's house with some plywood and some covering until we could get someone out here to properly repair it. "Let's not be boring and use the door. Instead, let's head out the window." I turn back to both of them, smiling. "Are you ready for you first hunt?" I ask Cierra. She nods eagerly. Macon looks ready for some fun. "Excellent. Let's get going."


End file.
